Elijah

Resting in the Routine

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 
For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day the Lord sends rain upon the earth.” 1 Kings 17:14 ESV

Few men saw more miracles than Elijah. Fire falling from Heaven, people rising from the dead and parting the Jordan river with his cloak were just a few examples from his resume. But before the fire fell, Elijah spent over three years living in the tiny village of Zarephath. I am sure that to most people watching Elijah’s life seemed pretty routine. But in the middle of that routine, God was working a miracle every morning. Because the fire from Heaven, only fell once, but the flour and oil miraculously multiplied every day! Waters part in our lives when new chapters begin, but only the simple turning of many pages will tell the story that God is writing in our lives. We need to guard our hearts against ingratitude for our daily bread. God gives us mercies every morning to forgive our sins and neighbors in need for opportunities to show His love. So, today, let’s delight in how God stretches our jars of flour and jugs of oil to meet our needs and rest in His routine until a new chapter begins and He sends His rain upon the earth!

Prayer: Thank you Father, for the mercies you give and the daily bread you provide. We trust that you know how to begin and end the chapters of life and that you will keep us safely in the palm of your almighty hand!

Will You Bake a Cake Today?

/ pastorpete51 / 12 Comments 
And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward, make some for yourself and your son. 
 1 Kings 17:13 NKJV

If you wonder how your small contribution in a world full of big problems will make a difference, you are not alone. When we are in trouble, like the woman in today’s verse, sometimes God comes to our aid in unexpected ways. Maybe that morning, when she saw Elijah coming up the road, she had hopes that He was coming to help her, but instead He came asking for her to do something for him. His request reminds me of our, “Junk mail.” People who we don’t even know, ask us for money for their important projects or needs, and they want us to respond right away! But why was God asking her to bake a cake for a stranger, when she was the one in need? That may seem strange, but sometimes God does the same for us. When we are too busy, He brings us a troubled neighbor. Will we give them a smile, a hug, or a word of encouragement, even when things in our own life seem to be falling apart? The things we give in those situations are the offerings that are most precious to God. Elijah didn’t ask her to bake him a cake, because of selfishness, but because he was following God’s instructions. In fact, Elijah might have felt ashamed to be begging from a widow and she might have been offended by his request. But as they both obeyed, God blessed them, and they both received not only food through the famine, but they also had their story recorded in God’s word, and it is still encouraging us after three thousand years! Remember that your story can encourage someone today. God just may ask you to give away something that you have saved for yourself. Are you willing to give what you have to others even when it seems so small? Are you ready to bake a cake today?

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A Second Touch

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 1 Kings 19:7-8 NIV

“He Touched Me” was written in 1963 by Bill Gaither and became one of the best loved and most recorded Christian songs of the twentieth century. It became so popular that Elvis Presly chose it as the title song of an album for which he won the Grammy award in 1972. Though this generation of young people may have never heard the song, those who love Jesus, still long for God’s touch. But there are times in life, when a single touch, even from God is not enough. Like Elijah, we still believe God, but we have given up on ourselves. “Surely God has someone better than us for the job.” we say to ourselves. Are you so tired of how things have been going that today, you simply want to lie down and give up? The good news this morning is that even if we have given up: God has not! He has not written us off and is not looking for someone else to replace us. God sent His angel a second time for Elijah, and though He may not use an angel, God has a fresh word for you and me this morning, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” God is offering us not only a second touch, but also a new direction and new strength for our journey, which will lead us all the way to Him!