2009 – Day 159.June 9 – Incredible Associations

2009 – Day 159.June 9 – Incredible Associations

Passage of the Day: 1st Kings 17: 8 – 16 … Passage linked for study …

My Journal for Today: So, our “man of God,” Elijah does what God commands and goes from Cherith to Zarapeth and seeks out the widow, whom God had available for him at the gate to the city. But when Elijah requested food and drink, the widow related what an impossible task this would be for her due to the paucity of food stuffs and water available for her own family, let alone for a guest.

BUT – Elijah’s faith had been made ready in Cherith; and he was able to focus with faith on the circumstances to show this widow what a great God they worshipped. And as we read in 1st Kings 17: 14, the Prophet does what a Prophet of God had been prepared by God to do, … prophesy. And he declares that the food will not run out for this widow and her family and she will also have water during the drought. And as long as Elijah was there with the widow serving his needs, that is exactly what happened.

And Swindoll asks the pointed question … if his readers have ever had a person in their life, one who simply would not look at the world though lenses of impossibility. And I ask, “Have you ever been around or influenced by someone like that?” I have; and shortly after I became a Christian, groping for strength and truth in my life, I was led to my home church and to a mentor, a retired physician and a Godly man who reveled in seemingly impossible tasks, seeing them as great opportunities to go to the Lord in faith. He was blessed with the gift of prophesy as a motivational gift; and he was so steeped in God’s word that he could bring up a truth from Scripture when things seemed bleak to show me what God would say to the challenges from my life that I laid before him. He was like the Apostle Paul when he declared to his followers in Corinth (see 1st Cor. 11: 1), “You can imitate me because I imitate Christ.”

I hope you know and have access to someone like that in your life. If not, I would charge you to pray for and seek out such a man of God [or a Godly woman for you Sisters in Christ]; and I would challenge you to seek council from such a Godly mentor. Because following someone like that can change the way you view the world, moving you from fear to faith, … from seeing impossible circumstances to possibility thinking.

I know it’s not easy to find such an “Elijah” in this world; but I’ve seen them in my church; and so I know they are out there. And when you find and follow a mentor like Elijah or an apostle Paul so that you can imitate their faith and obedience to God’s word. Find and follow such a mentor and you will begin to see God’s possibilities in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances. So, I pray you find such a faith leader to walk you through the valley of the shadow of death into the pasture of promise (as I’m sure you know God says in Psalm 23 - linked for your study).

My Prayer for Today: Thank you, Lord, for leading me to this place of faith; now I pray for the same for anyone who reads what You’ve given me to share this day. Amen