February 8 – Elijah – I Kings 17:1 thru 19:18
So much can be said about Elijah, but in this passage, he exemplifies humility, hard work, faith, and prayer. A combination of these was the foundation of a great miracle. Look for these attributes as you read God’s Holy Word today. Could you use a great miracle in your life? We serve the same God Elijah served. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We are the only variable in the equation. Do your part and just see what God will do!
Let’s observe Elijah’s foundational traits in action. Compare 1 Kings 18:21 to 1 Kings 18:39. What made the difference? First, Elijah was willing to ask God to do something that had never seen done before – fire fall from Heaven. Elijah wanted no recognition or glory; all the success or failure was placed directly on God. Secondly, Elijah worked diligently in the preparation for God to do something well above miraculous. The third aspect, faith, was displayed when he worked exemplifying that he believed God could and would do something powerful. Lastly, he prayed fervently and passionately. He prayed for a specific end. He prayed with the right motivation.
I think it is important to point out in chapter 19 that we find Elijah dealing with depression. He has just experienced a tremendous victory, and now he feels that he is completely alone with nobody to understand what he is going through. Many times after a great spiritual victory, satan will attack your mind and emotions. What was Elijah instructed to do to fix his depression? 1) V. 11-14 Take your feelings to the Lord. 2) V. 15-16 God gave Elijah a job to do 3) V. 18-19 Get around fellow Christians.
