Training For Service

1 Kings 17:2-4  And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

Elijah has just stood before King Ahab of Israel and delivered the message of judgment God had given him. Now God wants to hide him away. His plan is to help Elijah come to the place where he trusts the Lord one day at a time.

I imagine that there was some fear in the prophet's heart that first evening. Would the ravens appear? Would there be flesh and bread in the morning? But, as the days passed and God proved Himself to be faithful and trustworthy, Elijah learned to walk by faith.

Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

God wants us to come to the place where we don’t know which step to take next. He wants us to be totally dependent upon Him--- to rest in His arms by faith without fear. Then we are ready for His service.

Whatever God calls you to do or wherever He sends you, it comes equipped with His provisions. Before the dawn breaks tomorrow, He’s already there.

Beyond The Chaos

The disciples were frightened. In the Upper Room Judas had just left to betray their Lord, and they worried that Jesus would be killed. Then Jesus told them He would be leaving. Peter wanted to go with him. He wanted to die for Him. Jesus said he would deny Him three times before the Rooster crowed the next morning and that shocked him. Midst their gloom, Jesus begins to tells them about Heaven to cheer them up. This scripture always cheers me up, too.

John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

The Father’s House would have to be holy. It would have to be filled with glory. It would have to be a place of peace, blessing, and joy---a place of love. What a thrill to live there. The mansion fades in the light of his Glory.

Jesus will return to take the redeemed saints to their Father’s House. We will see Him and be like Him. We will worship Him for eternity. We will have perfect bodies. We will sing of His glory with perfect voices and shout His praises and that’s only the beginning. Sometime we need to crawl out of the chaos and rejoice in our Heavenly Hope.

Hope, Tribulation, And Prayer

Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Believers can rejoice in hope because we are saved, forgiven and heaven bound. We have a hope that the world knows nothing about, and we need that hope in times of trouble.

The fury of terrorism is raging like an angry lion, leaving dead bodies in it’s path. It’s causing anxiety around the world and America is another name on the terror list. Though I’m concerned, my hope is in the Lord. The Apostle Paul told us to be patient in tribulation. God knows what is happening.

We need to pray about it. Give it to Jesus. Trust Him and praise Him. Lean on Him during these times. Do you have a consistent prayer life? Prayer is the life line of the believer. Too often it’s neglected.  A lot of people need prayer these days.

James 5:16 . . . . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Jesus, Creator and Savior

Nobody is as important as Jesus. Nothing is to come before Jesus or outshine Him. He is to be out in front in our lives, in our families, in our priorities, in our churches, in our dreams, and in our worship. In everything, He is to be the One we follow. By the grace of God, we can.

Colossians 1:16-17 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Every rock, every river, every plant, every animal, every person, every government, everything you can see with your eyes and everything that’s invisible to the naked eye was brought into being by Him. If it exists, He spoke it into existence. It didn’t evolve.

John 1:1,3,14  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. [14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, . . . . .

The One Who said “Let there be…”  came to earth and sacrificed His life on a cruel cross for our sins.  Those who believe in Jesus with all their heart become a child of God and will live forever.  Praise God!.    

This Thanksgiving fall before Him in love and adoration. Thank Him for all His abundant blessings in your life.