“How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked. But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’ ” Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD. 2 Kings 4:43-44

The reason this story looks so familiar to us is because it’s mentioned in the New Testament as “feeding of the 5000″ and “feeding of the 4000.” Same setting; different men involved. Elisha could clearly see that the 20 barley loaves could feed 100 men; nobody else could. The men distributing the bread knew how much they started with. As pieces were pulled off, the bread was replenished. The crowd may not have known what was happening, but the servers did. And there was a famine in the land.

How God provides for us is not always clear at the time. Sometimes it’s not even clear after it’s said and done. But the fact remains: God provides. Thank Him today for His provisions. Thank Him for life itself.

One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 2 Kings 4:8

Have you ever offered to house missionaries when they came to town? If you want to impact your kids (and your own lives), volunteer to house and feed all the missionaries that come your way. Then let the kids fire their questions at them. Missionaries love to talk about what they do. Kids never tire hearing about the often unusual places God calls people to serve. By the time the second missionary comes to town, your newly-bought globe will be put to great use.

And you’ll be blessing the missionaries.

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” 2 Kings 4:1,7

Out of all of the possible miracles this woman could have asked for from Elisha, she asked him to help her pay her bills. Think about that for a second. She didn’t ask him to raise her husband from the dead. She didn’t ask for another husband and stepfather for her children. She merely asked the prophet to help with her deceased husband’s debts.

What a practical lesson. She needed help. She asked a man she knew could help her. He did. Everyone won.

If you were in need of this kind of assistance (or food for you and your kids), would you ask for help from people you know would help? I think our pride often gets in the way of asking. Let’s turn the table around a bit: if someone you knew asked for help, would you help? Of course you would.

Our brothers and sisters are there to help when they can. Sometimes they just need to be asked.

When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land. 2 Kings 3:26-27

Even though the Moabites will be defeated in this battle, Moab makes one last ditch effort to rally the troops: he offered his firstborn son as a sacrifice. The significance of this should not go unnoticed. Firstborn son. The father’s pride and joy. The heir apparent to the thrown in Moab. The king of Moab didn’t take that action lightly. He was willing to sacrifice his most prized possession to defeat the three kings and their armies.

In the world we live in, many would never sacrifice a child for a military win. And yet, there are many who sacrifice their lives for various, causes they were willing to die for. Yesterday I discussed the persecuted Believers in their own countries. Pray again for the persecuted Church. When one man or woman is hauled away to prison, he or she leaves behind others who love them and weep over them. Pray for those Believers as their fight must be difficult, if not impossible. Pray that God will encourage them greatly. And as I mentioned yesterday, ask God what you (and I) can do to help on this side of the world.

The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was—water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.

Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border. When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red—like blood. “That’s blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!” 2 Kings 3:20-23

Elisha prophesied that Moab would fall into the hands of the three kings but he wasn’t specific about how it would come about. The Lord had deceived the Moabites into thinking that blood was running in the rivers from the blood that was shed. You have to admit, it was certainly a creative deception. The story ends with the Moabites being slaughtered. The armies of the three kings had no idea how it would all come about, except that it had to do with a river that God had created after the troops dug a large ditch.

There are many enemies of God in the world today. There are many who want to destroy Christians. We see it especially in countries that Christians are not in the majority. They are beaten down and attacked, and very few in the “world community” either cares or dares to speak out against these injustices. Pray that God will confuse the minds of the enemies of Believers. Pray that He will continue to be adored and praised in lands that persecute His believers. Pray for those Believers who are persecuted and ask God what you (and I) can do to help on this end.

Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you. But now bring me a harpist.”
While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha. 2 Kings 3:14-15

Right in the midst of talking to three kings, Elisha calls for a harpist. Do you find that odd? That certainly takes a lot of guts to do that even with only one king nearby. So the harpist comes and plays. It must have put Elisha in the mood to hear from the Lord, whatever that means. In any event, Elisha prophesies for the kings and the prophecy comes to pass for them.

Music seems to soothe the soul. If you recall, Saul called for David to play his harp to soothe Saul’s troubled soul. Music just has that effect on people. Consider ways that you can bless your music pastor this week. Perhaps you belong to a small church and the music pastor is the pastor. Bless him somehow. Write him or her a card or note. Take him to lunch. Give him a gift certificate at your local Christian bookstore. Most of all, pray that God will move in him and his family’s life, and that the music he chooses will bless the very heart of God.

Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to supply the king of Israel with a hundred thousand lambs and with the wool of a hundred thousand rams. But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 2 Kings 3:4-5

Mesha king of Moab was a shepherd, sort of. In his mind his pact with King Ahab was no longer valid so he no longer supplied Israel with 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,00 rams. Now he was willing to go to war over it, or at the very least, to test the newly installed king. Think about that for a second. A king was willing to go to war all because he didn’t want to supply 100,000 lambs to another king. The king of Israel still wanted the power; I suspect he didn’t need the mutton or wool to make his country prosper. So the king of Israel mustered up the king of Judah and the king of Edom to wage war against the king of Moab.

Little has changed over the years. Leaders argue over land rights and money and oil and any number of things, rightly or wrongly. Controlling the oil supply (or not letting it fall into the wrong hands) has been a big reason to go to war in the past two decades; access to fresh water will even be a bigger reason in the near future. It is a shame that thoughtful men and women cannot sit down to discuss and hammer out these issues face to face. Greed and hatred for others gets in the way. When a nation’s leaders do not play well in the sandbox with other leaders, war may seem like the only option left.

Obviously, war is complicated. It’s not always clear cut as others would like you to believe. When one people is slaughtering another group without a chance or means to defend themselves, other nations should step in and halt the violence (yes, by violent means). The case I’m thinking of now is Sudan. The North is continuing its assault on the folks in the South, and the South cannot defend themselves because the North already took away their weapons. Other nations should step up and squelch the genocide.

Pray that nations with moral clarity over this matter will do just that.

From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. “Go on up, you baldhead!” they said. “Go on up, you baldhead!” He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the youths. And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria. 2 Kings 2:23-25

Having very little hair myself, I couldn’t pass up discussing this Scripture. I personally don’t believe this was God’s intention in giving Elisha the double portion of blessing (Scripture doesn’t say either way). I believe it was a misuse of his power. I suppose you could make a case that his life was in jeopardy with at least 42 kids making fun of him. Forty-two youths were mauled by the bears, but how many, if any, escaped and ran to tell the neighboring town about Elisha’s arrival? We don’t know. However, it is clear that the youths were disrespectful to the prophet. And that’s the point I’d like to make.

Were the kids trained right by their parents, but when they were together in a group of 40+ they turned mean and disrespectful? We don’t know. We do know that no other incident like this is recorded while Elisha was a prophet. Coincidence? Perhaps. Lesson learned? Clearly.

This is a good time to pray for our youth. They are growing up in a very different society than we grew up in and our parents grew up in (and every other generation). There are challenges the youth face that we never had to face. One glance at the fashion styles and music and commercials that kids are surrounded by will give you a taste of what they are up against. Pray that those you know personally will be able to have a godly influence on the culture around them. Pray that there will still be a remnant who are God-fearing. And pray that God will give them great boldness to proclaim the gospel to their peers.

The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”
“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”
But they persisted until he was too ashamed to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?” 2 Kings 2:15-18

There’s a saying in the vernacular: “I told you so.” Fifty prophets came to Elisha to tell him they could go look for Elijah. Like a persistent salesman, these prophets kept pressing Elisha. One ‘no’ should have been enough. Elisha knew exactly what had happened to Elijah. What we see here in a minor way is what we have in a major way in our society: hero worship.

The prophets obviously respected Elijah, probably because of what happened to the 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah. People, even well-meaning and solid Believers, love to follow ‘names.’

A few weeks I heard the story of a pastor who sat with an ailing family for days in the hospital, waiting patiently for the family member to come out of a coma. In walks a well-known preacher with his entourage of workers. He stayed less than 30 minutes total going from room to room and praying over the sick. For the next few days it was all one of the family members spoke about. Then the pastor said to a friend, ‘it was as if I was invisible.’

Today’s a good day to pray for your pastor and to drop him an encouraging note in the mail. Chances are good that he isn’t a well-known ‘name’ and would welcome the encouragement. As Mark Twain used to say, “I can go three months on a good compliment.” Your words mean things.

As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart.

He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. 2 Kings 2:11-14

After Elijah was taken, Elisha went to the Jordan and hoped that the Jordan would split as it had done in the recent past with Elijah holding the cloak. It’s almost as if he struck it, it parted, and he looked around sheepishly to make sure no one was watching. From the text, Elisha didn’t expect the water to part.

Elijah granted Elisha a double portion of his blessings. By the end of Elisha’s life, he would have performed exactly twice as many miracles as Elijah.

But this first miracle came as a surprise.

We love surprises, usually.

Have you ever been surprised by God’s blessings? Have you ever secretly hoped that God would stop blessing you so much? We take His blessings fo granted.

Take out some paper and list those blessings. Then thank God.

Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.

Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 2 Kings 2:6-8

Buried in the story of Elijah passing the mantle over to Elisha is this snippet at the end of verse six: “So the two of them walked on.” This sentence is just exploding with possibilities. Elijah and Elisha were walking to the Jordan, Elijah rolled up his cloak, struck the water and it parted. Then what the text say, “and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.”

To begin with, I don’t recall this story in the Bible. It was no small miracle that the Jordan river parted so that Elijah and Elijah parted on dry ground. Sound like another familiar story about Moses? But the point I want to emphasize is this: Elijah and Elisha walked to the Jordan, then in the dry river bed. I would have loved to been a fly on their shoulder listening in to their conversations. Child psychologists call this a “teachable moment.” I can almost see Elisha walking backwards but face to face with Elijah, chattering non stop, as someone excited might do. Even the parting of the Jordan River would have brought a ton of chatter and questions and enthusiasm and energy.

Each of us have these kinds of moments throughout our day, though probably not as momentous as this occasion. We have opportunities, but do we fully utilize them? Next time someone younger and more inexperienced is picking your brain for information and tips, don’t think of it as a time waster. Instead, think of it as an opportunity you may never get again to train the eager, to mold them if only for a few minutes. Encourage that person in every way possible.

He told the king, “This is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” So he died, according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. 2 Kings 1:16-17

Your mission, like Elijah’s, should you choose to accept it, is to go to the king and tell him face to face that because he has sinned, he will surely die – and soon! You have to give Elijah some credit, it couldn’t have been an easy task. First, it was a death threat against the reigning king, and secondly, it was a death threat against the reigning king! You can’t get much bolder than that.

Elijah provides us with an example of what a prophet can do when he knows that God has told him to do something. Had God not told him to that, Elijah would have bee executed on the spot. But God’s favor rested on Elijah.

It’s easy to look at these incidents in the comfort of our cozy room and think that God would never do that with us. We’re too soft. We’re too comfortable. We’re too [fill in the blank]. God wants to use ordinary people like us in extraordinary ways. Think of a time He’s already done that for you. It probably took a few steps of faith but you knew it to be the right thing to do. The same God who impressed upon Elijah the need to confront the King is the exact same God who is over us and loves us. He delights in our faith steps. He delights when we step out in faith for Him.

Pray and ask the Lord what step of faith He wants you to take, then Take it!

The angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. 2 Kings 1:15

Twice prior to this, the king of Samaria had sent a company of 50 men, and Elijah called down fire from heaven to incinerate them. This time, the captain of the Guard begged for his life and the angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah.

It seems that whatever the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, it was clear and unequivocal. I personally would love to hear the word of the Lord spoken to me with such clarity. Then certainly I would obey.

Well, He has spoken to us with such clarity.

• Love your neighbor as you love yourselves.
  Turn the other cheek.
  Pray for those who persecute you.
  Do not slander or gossip.
  Pray for wisdom.
  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
  Pray without ceasing.
  Give joyfully.

More often than not, we know the right path to take. We know what to do. Could the Lord be any clearer to us on those things that are written in Scripture?

Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail – they were wrecked at Ezion Geber. 1 Kings 22:48

There is something very troubling about this verse. Jehoshaphat spend a lot of money in personnel and material resources to build these trading ships but they never set sail. They never were able to do what they were intended to do. It’s interesting that out of Jehoshaphat’s reign, this is even mentioned.

I recall hearing about a missionary (long before computers) and as he was nearing completion of a Bible translation, a fire destroyed all his work. So, what did he do? Mourned his loss for a short time and went back to work translating the same Bible into the same language. To him there wasn’t a second option despite the tremendous setback: the Bible needed to be translated and he was the only person available to do it.

Throughout history, men and women on the mission field have experienced setbacks like this and have surged forward. Others, however, give up because of the discouragement. Today pray for that young family on the mission field – choose one: Indonesia, China, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Latvia – who has undergone discouragement and wants to give it all up. Pray that God would sovereignly meet their emotional and spiritual needs. Pray that they would renew their love for Him in this discouragement.

When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”
“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.”

The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD ?” 1 Kings 22:15-16

The prophet Micaiah was known to be honest, and the kings of Israel and Judah summoned him. It’s almost as if Micaiah made the first remark ‘tongue in cheek.’ The king called him on it and he told the truth. Either King Jehoshophat knew Micaiah’s tendencies or he was reading something very different than what he was “prophesying.” And a king must already know that people stumble over themselves when talking to royalty. They say what they think the king wants to hear.

Think about it this way, how many times have you completely ignored a response to: “how are you?” If you’re like me, “Fine, Thanks.” is more than sufficient. You don’t want to go deep. However, ask someone a second time with sincerely and you’re likely to get a little closer to the truth.

Today, pray for someone you are relatively close to. Pray that God will continue to ease their burdens as they throw them upon Him. Pray that you’ll get a glimpse into their world and then when you get that glimpse that you’ll pray even harder for that person.

For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. 1 Kings 22:1

This verse implies a lot, doesn’t it? It implies that either Israel was at war a lot, Aram was at war a lot, or both warred against each other a lot. Three years there was the absence of war, which is not necessarily peace.

Not much has changed in the world. Even today, Israel has many enemies. More than a billion Muslims would like to wipe Israel completely off the map. The leader of Iran has said so publicly. It’s actually a strange thing to witness because if you ask a hundred Muslims about the nation of Israel, at least 99 of them would say that Israel should be annihilated (the other one might be lying). So, they are united in their hatred directed towards Israel, then why can’t they all seem to get it together to do just that? I’m not at all advocating such actions but even as a non-participant, you have to step back and ask, “why haven’t they been able to do that?”

Yes, the Muslims tried in 1967 and in 1973 with other smaller skirmishes but God had protected them. Say what you want about their superior intelligence in the Arab world, their military skills and even great leadership, God still protected that nation.

The Bible tells us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May those who love you be secure.” Psalm 122:6

Pray.

I’ve invited Maria Morgan to share a second time this week. I will return to the Book of Kings following this.

Maria I. Morgan is a freelance writer specializing in Christian devotionals and articles. Her devotionals are posted on her Life Lessons blog at <a href=”http://www.mariaimorgan.blogspot.com/”>www.mariaimorgan.blogspot.com</a>. She resides in Georgia with her husband, daughter, cat, and two retrievers. She can be reached at <a href=”http://mailto:morgan.maria.i@gmail.com/”>morgan.maria.i@gmail.com</a>.

September arrived with a definite chill in the air, bringing with it a sort of electrical excitement. Memories of roasting marshmallows in our outdoor fireplace, going horseback riding in the mountains and enjoying the beautiful palette of autumn colors, make me look forward to the change of seasons. In October, my family and I relish the idea of heading up to Burt’s Pumpkin Farm (www.burtsfarm.com) to take the traditional hay ride before selecting the pumpkins that will decorate our doorstep. Several local corn fields become mind-boggling mazes that test even the wittiest of customers. A couple years ago, when my Mom made her annual fall visit, we thought it would be fun to check out the corn-maze craze that’s only recently made its debut in our neck of the woods.

The day was overcast and a bit blustery, the perfect weather for a stroll through a corn field. With our maps to guide us through the maze, my Mom, daughter, and I set off quite confidently. After all, if we just followed our map we should be done in record time. Or so we thought. If I remember correctly, there were ten stations set up throughout the field where we were to stop and punch our map as we navigated the maze. This would prove that we had followed the right path from entrance to exit.

The trouble began when we were unable to find the very first station. Confused, each of us studied the map and tried to account for each twist and turn that we had made up to that point. I remember backtracking to the beginning, only to miss a turn and find ourselves at station number two, rather than one. At some point, we got so frustrated that we decided to skip the map altogether and just follow people who appeared as if they had an innate sense of direction. This proved quite comical as we ended up shadowing some women from England. Here we were in our home state, hoping foreigners would be able to lead us through this corn maze. Maybe it was a result of their travels, but for whatever reason, they did prove themselves to be much more adept at maze navigation than we were. With lots of laughter and sincere ‘thank yous’ to our ‘guides,’ we exited the corn maze safely.

So often, life resembles that corn maze. There are several paths to choose from; only one will lead us safely through life. Our Creator has a map for us, His Word, that will guide us along the one path that He knows will be best for us. This ‘map’ contains clear directions for avoiding wrong turns and navigating life’s storms, but we must be willing to study it. King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, was very direct in Proverbs 2:1-5, “1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” (KJV)

I get myself into trouble when I stop studying the ‘map’ and decide to drift aimlessly, following after or seeking others who may be able to point me in the right direction. While navigating this thing called life, my earnest desire is echoed in Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (KJV) Before you get frustrated with the twists and turns life throws at you, remember that your Creator is “a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Follow His ‘map’ for your life, today.

I’ve invited Maria Morgan to share again. I will return to the Book of Kings following this.

Maria I. Morgan is a freelance writer specializing in Christian devotionals and articles. Her devotionals are posted on her Life Lessons blog at www.mariaimorgan.blogspot.com. She resides in Georgia with her husband, daughter, cat, and two retrievers. She can be reached at morgan.maria.i@gmail.com.

It all happened so quickly. I certainly didn’t see it coming. I was knocked off my feet and hit the pavement, all in the matter of a few seconds. We walk our dogs just about every morning. It was a beautiful day. I had put our Golden Retriever, Precious, on her leash and we headed down toward the end of the driveway to wait for my husband, Steve, and Joe, our Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Joe came charging around the house. He ran at full speed to greet us. Unfortunately, he ran right into Precious’ leash and I was catapulted onto the rough cement of the driveway. Thoroughly stunned, I slowly stood to my feet and grabbed my right elbow. Instinctively, I had broken the impact of the fall by putting my hands out in front of me. Even so, my right elbow had managed to take a pretty hard hit.

My husband was afraid I may have broken my elbow, which by now was swelling and bleeding from some minor abrasions. I stumbled into the house to get an ice pack from the freezer. Although it hurt, I was still able to move my arm; so with ice pack in hand, I told my husband to go ahead without me. I was surprised to hear the door open just a few minutes later. Steve told me that he had tried to walk the dogs, but that Precious would only walk a few feet before she’d stop, and turn around to look back toward the house. After trying to coax her forward a few times to no avail, he brought both dogs back home.

I imagine that’s one reason they’re called, ‘man’s best friend.’ How sweet to think that my puppy was so concerned about me that she was no longer interested in taking a long-awaited walk. It certainly gave me food for thought. How often have I listened to the prayer request of a troubled friend, brought the petition before the Lord once, and then forgotten all about my friend’s need? Am I really concerned about what burdens my friend? Or am I more focused on my needs? It’s so much easier to rejoice with friends who are rejoicing, than to fulfill the second half of Romans 12:15, to “weep with them that weep.” (KJV)

The Bible is replete with countless examples of Christ’s prayer life. Since He was so often surrounded by people, He made it a practice to get away by Himself to spend time with His Father in prayer. Matthew 14:23 reveals, “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” (KJV) The book of Mark puts it this way, “And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.” (Mark 6:46, KJV) He was so burdened for mankind, that the book of Luke says, “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12, KJV) What a passion for people! What a model for us to follow. I’m reminded today of the power of prayer and the Almighty God who answers it. Will you be faithful to intercede on the behalf of others until God answers? Be sure to stop and praise Him when He does!

So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—about four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”
“Go,” they answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?” 1 Kings 22:6-7

Jehoshaphat knew men and their tendencies to avoid telling those in power the truth, especially if it meant telling the King that he might die! Put yourselves in their place: would you like to be the bearer of bad news to a king who could take your life within seconds after you told him? Not many would. It is apparent that these so-called prophets were not prophets of the Lord. It seems that Jehoshaphat and Ahab knew that a true prophet would prophesy bad things against the two kings and their nations. In short, the prophets would tell the truth regardless of the consequences to their own lives. Because the prophets were not true prophets, they were only saying what would have been pleasing to the Kings.

The prophets of the Lord obviously had a good reputation throughout the kingdom. That reputation is built over time and circumstance. You don’t need to broadcast your reputation; your reputation speaks for itself.

How’s your reputation in the community? How is it at work or at your PTA or even in your church? What do others say about you? Do they think highly of you? Ultimately, though, what God thinks of us in infinitely more important that what others think of us. It doesn’t mean we should be obnoxious and condescending and rude, but it does put things into perspective. God, who loves us infinitely and unconditionally, is the one we should be trying to please because of what He’s done for us. We aim to please not as a means of gaining heaven or more stature in God’s eyes, but out of devotion and love for our Saviour.

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. In those letters she wrote:
“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.” 1 Kings 21:8-10

Jezebel is a classic example of someone who should never receive power. She’s ruthless, dishonest, and downright mean. But, unfortunately, many leaders like Jezebel rise to the top because they will do whatever it takes to get to the top, even if it means stepping on others to get there. She’s not humble; she’s not wise; but she is shrewd and cunning. If you ever, ever see someone like her in power, run far away from that person.

But there is an alternative: prayer. Pray for that person. Pray that that person will shine a mirror into their own eyes and reveal the “ugliness” that ruthlessness can give you.

The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’ ”

Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!” 1 Kings 22:26-28

Ahab obviously didn’t appreciate Micaiah’s prophecy against him so he threw him in jail (even though Micaiah was warned to tell the truth). Truth is a rare commodity these days. People who are in sin do not like to hear truth spoken to them. And yet, if we’re not careful we can slip into little lies and fibs in the things we do.

We’re entering a time of life that truth will be regarded as dangerous. I know that sounds absurd. If everyone around you is lying and you come in and are a straight shooter with the truth, you will get noticed quickly. Look at the truth that Jesus revealed daily. What was the Pharisees’ reaction? Let’s stone him; you’re insane; you’re nuts!

All that to say this: every body may not appreciate the truth, but you still have to tell it. There are ways to temper the way you share it, but ultimately you’ll need to tell the truth. And the truth may cost you. Are we willing to pay the price of imprisonment or ill treatment? Certainly the truth will set you free, but often there’s occasionally a price tag associated with that freedom.

Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”
But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”
He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ”
Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 1 Kings 21:1-7

I have wondered about this passage occasionally. Why didn’t Ahab just take the vineyard? As king, he could have done it and no one would have questioned it. At the very least, he could have thrown a reasonable amount of money at Naboth, then taken the land. Instead he asked for it and Naboth refused to hand it over. Then Ahab went home and poured out his woes to Jezebel at her insistence. It’s no surprise that she took charge of the situation. To the unethical, conniving Jezebel, it wasn’t a problem.

A number of years ago, I heard a journalist refer to a President like this: “good man, wrong job.” In other words, the man is good.but the job doesn’t fit the man. That’s seems to be what’s happening here. A little later in the passage, God praises Ahab for humbling himself before the Lord. Ahab clearly seems out of place as King. On the other hand, Jezebel seems out of place too but for different reasons. They say that the best leaders are those who don’t seek the position. They’re reluctant to assume power and responsibility, mainly because they know that power can corrupt quickly.

Pray for the leaders of your nation. Pray, that they, like Ahab, will humble themselves before the Lord. Pray also that the Lord will burden you to pray regularly for that person.

There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.

Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.” 1 Kings 21:25-29

In verse 25, the Lord describes Ahab as an evil man, urged on by his wife Jezebel. A few verses later, Ahab had repented and humbled himself before God. Ahab had heard the world of God and, like Beh-Hadad, was fearful, but it was a healthy fear.

God saw the sincerity in Ahab and delayed the disaster that would all on him. Always remember that a changed life is evidence that God is still moving. God moved on Ahab back then, and He still moves today. Sometimes it’s as obvious a change as what happened to Ahab, but often it is not. Ahab, as King of Israel, was influential and important. When he snapped his fingers, a small army of men and women would cater to his needs.

Most often the change comes about in the life of a “nobody,” an unknown. But those unknowns can still change the world. Don’t pray that the influential and risk and famous come to Christ, but pray that men and women seeking after God will come to Christ. Never underestimate the power of God in the life of any of His believers.

For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room. 1 Kings 20:29-30

Ben-Hadad was the King of Aram, and he had assembled 32 other kings to take on Ahab, the King of Israel. Ben-Hadad was a powerful man. He engaged Ahab and wanted to fight him. He demanded a great deal from Ahab, then demanded more. Ahab balked at handing over more power. Then Ben-Hadad did a strange thing: he went and hid in a corner, much like Elijah did earlier. The King of Aram cowered when the Israelites had inflicted over 100,000 casualties. His power and influence were rapidly fading. He feared for his life.

This is coming another time, another day when rulers and leaders will hide and cower: “Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!” Revelations 6:15-16

The world as we see it is not what it seems. It will be a time like no other. You know it must be bad when pompous rulers cower in fear inside caves and openly call on the mountains and rocks to fall on them!

Until then we are to occupy this land. We are to pray and work and seek and love and praise and smile and study and pray some more. We are to enjoy the blessing God has given us and help others experience that blessing wherever and whenever possible.

So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant. 1 Kings 19:19-21

A lot is implied in this story. Presumably when a cloak is thrown around you by Elijah the prophet, it means “you’re next!” Elisha the farmer knew what to do. He gave it all up for a prophet he met just that day.

I love it when God chooses someone who is unassuming. What do I mean by that? Unassuming means that don’t assume that the person is anybody. A farmer. A fisherman. A tax collector. A boy with a slingshot. Your expectations are low. After all, how could a mere farmer or a boy with a slingshot change the world? And yet, that is so much like God! Certainly he could use the wealthy and famous and important politician, and he does. But who gets the glory when that happens?

God uses ordinary, unassuming people every day to change the world. Think of your own life. Look how he’s changed your life and used you. In the world’s eyes, you’re probably nothing special. Yet, in God’s eyes, you’re one of a kind and priceless. Your worth is infinite.

You’re an heir of the King of Kings.

Nothing can take that away from you.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:13-18

What Elijah told God is a very common thing: I’m alone and fighting this battle alone. But, as God’s reply suggests: Elijah, you’re not alone. In fact there are 7,000 prophets waiting in the wings. You are definitely not alone.

The implications of this are straightforward and we need to be reminded often: in this world, we are not alone. It couldn’t be clearer. We may think it, sense, feel it, and even believe it, but it’s not true. Not for a minute. People are going through the same kinds of struggles you’re going through. They’re crying out to God louder because of their sorrow. People are trying, as the Scriptures say, “to grasp the hem of his garment,” to get a glimpse at His glory. But we are not alone.

When you feel your loneliest, is the precise time to reach out to some of those others that you know have been through those dark times. Yes, we should pursue God with all we have, but we have our Brothers and Sisters in Christ to reach out to. Think of this: if you approached another Believer you know well and asked that person to pray for you, would they turn you away?

Again, we are not alone. We can’t say it enough.

And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 1 Kings 19:9-13

There are so many rich passages relating to Elijah. Again, this is one we’ve learned as kids. He wasn’t in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. But He was in the still whisper. This could have been written today. To hear a whisper you have to be quiet. You have to be still and listen.

A few weeks ago I asked this question in an online poll: “are you at peace?” From previous polls I found that most of my respondents were Believers. More than 60% said no. How is that possible? Forget anything else but that question, “are you at peace?” Can you quiet your heart for a few minutes each day? Do you get rejuvenated just by sitting in God’s presence each day?

You might be able to see and hear God in the winds, earthquake, and fire, but probably you’ll hear the whisper of God first.

When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 1 Kings 19:3-6

The Lord knew what Elijah needed and provided for him.

Should we expect any less in our lives?

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. 1 Kings 19:1-3

What a sad sad passage of Scripture. Elijah had just scored a major victory in his dealings with Ahab and the prophets of Baal. He called fire from heaven and it consumed the water-soaked altar. But when Ahab went to see his wife Jezebel, Elijah went to pieces. He folded. He caved.

Great spiritual victories are often followed by very deep darkness in many Believers’ lives. You can even see this pattern in the lives of some of the Disciples. Take Peter for example. Great ministry with Jesus going from town to town, but when the time came, he denied his Lord.

The takeaway from this is that we need to be very careful when we have those major spiritual victories. Satan is right there to snatch it from us, especially if we have gloated in it and forgotten to give God the glory. Even so, we must be on our guard.

Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!”

Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. 1 Kings 18:38-40

In a crowd of people there will always be the skeptics, cynics, and the doubters. All will be in various stages of skepticism, cynicis, and doubt. We don’t always know what will put them “over the top.” Obviously, Elijah calling down fire on the altar got their attention, especially after Elikjah had doused the altar and the trench with loads of water. Seeing the prophets of Baal and Asherah must have jarred their senses.

You never know where people are in their journey through life. It’s easy to judge based on behaviors and the things people say. It’s easy to “pigeonhole” someone because of what they say and do, but God may very well be working on them. God may be on the verge of moving incredibly in their lives. And He may want to use you to do it!

Be kind; be gentle. Don’t criticize until you’ve walked a mile or two in their shoes. After all, we’d want them to do the same for us, wouldn’t we?

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 1 Kings 18:36-37

Elijah had people douse his altar with water three times. He dug a mini moat around the sacrifice, and then he prayed a 20-second prayer. Twenty seconds. The prophets of Baal and Asherah spent the equivalent of at least 5000 man-hours praying for their god to consume the sacrifice. God’s response must have startled the prophets and the people. They probably expected loud, long, and eloquent prayers.

The story goes that a farmer entered a prayer meeting, and all the attendees were complaining about the heat and the lack of water for their crops. The man bowed his head, then said, “Lord, sure is hot.” The rains came soon after. Whether it actually happened is irrelevant, but the point is taken: you don’t need long and flowery prayers for God to answer.

Starting today, pray what I call “Tweet Prayers.” Twitter, is based on the question: what are you doing now. You have 140 characters to respond. The paragraph up to the last period was 145 characters. Tweet prayers are quick, to the point and helps us to keep our focus on the important thing in life.

Your prayers don’t need to be long, though they can be. If you pass an accident, offer a tweet prayer for the drivers involved. Someone you haven’t seen in ages pops up on your “radar” screen, pray a tweet prayer for that person right then and there. As your children go off to school, pray tweet prayers throughout the day.

We probably already pray tweet prayers but now they have a name.