FAITHFUL CIVIL SERVANTS! 1 Kings 18:1-19
Bible Reading: 1 Kings 18:1-19
1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly:
4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
FAITHFUL CIVIL SERVANTS! 1 Kings 18:1-19
8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
10 As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth.
13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundred men of the Lord‘s prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
15 And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
FAITHFUL CIVIL SERVANTS! 1 Kings 18:1-19
After a long period of drought, King Ahab became desperate and began to seek solutions to the many problems confronting the nation due to the drought (v.5). What do you think Ahab could have done? Instead of turning to God with a repentant heart, he rather depended on his own strategy (cf. 1Kgs. 17:2-9 and Ps. 23:1-3). We may encounter challenges in life either because our sinful actions or even when we do not sin. Whichever, the only place to turn to is the presence of God. He knows how to handle every situation. Obadiah’s faithfulness to God and the actions he took to save the lives of 100 Prophets of God is a good example to follow (vs. 3&4). Despite many allegations of corruption among the people in political positions, God will always have remnants who are faithful to Him and can be found trustworthy in their duties. Can you be counted among these remnants? Do you “take’ Jesus to your place of work or you leave Him at home? – FAITHFUL CIVIL SERVANTS! 1 Kings 18:1-19
Also Read: STAY FAR FROM HATRED FOR YOUR GOOD! odmdaily
Missions: SWAZILAND – Swaziland was one of the countries most by HIV/AIDS. Life expectancy plummeted to age 32 in 2008. Pray for sexual morality to be restored and marriages and families to function as God intended. Pray also that God will help them to handle COVID-19 effectively. Pray for effective mission work in this Nation
FAITHFUL CIVIL SERVANTS! 1 Kings 18:1-19
Bible In One Year: Jeremiah 50-52
Prayer: Pray for our civil servants, that they may recognize themselves primarily as God’s servants and accountable to Him.
Also Read: GOD NEEDS GENUINE PROPHETS! 1 Kings 17:1-24
Key Verse: The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. (Psa. 23:1) FAITHFUL CIVIL SERVANTS! 1 Kings 18:1-19
