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.” (I Kings 17:3, 4)
I never cease to be amazed at God’s goodness to His children! I’m sure most of you have read or heard this passage before, so I won’t go into great detail. Elijah, at the command and commision of God, has proclaimed a drought in the land because of the evil of the people. They have run rampant, serving other “gods” and turned away from the God of Israel. This, in turn, caused God to withhold rain, bringing destruction and waste upon the land – in hopes that the people would repent.
But God, who is rich in mercy to His people, caused Elijah to not only survive the drought; instead, he actually thrived and carried on his mission despite the heavy hand of God in the land. BUT it was only because he obeyed the Lord’s command to go where he was sent, do what he was required, and follow the ever-present leading of God’s words to him.
And so it is for us today. I have been employed at several different places since I came home from the military. Each one has given me the opportunity to display the love of God to others. I have considered each one a deployment instead of employment. And God has provided through each one. Today I am so grateful for each of my bosses at the various places I have worked, and have seen each employer be blessed because of the Spirit of God Who lives within me. I am nothing, but He is EVERYTHING!
As the Day of the Lord approaches ever closer, it is imperative that we learn to hear the Voice of God as He directs our steps. Each interaction we have with others is an opportunity to show them Christ. NOT religion, NOT our church membership, NOT our individual dogma, but Jesus. Pure and simple. Several years ago I had the privilege of appearing onstage in Branson in a three-hour musical depiction on the life of Jesus Christ. I was honored to portray the angel Gabriel in that show. I enjoyed a three-year run in that character and it fulfilled a childhood dream of mine – to be onstage singing and acting. During that three-year period, God challenged me to spend one whole year reading and meditating just on the gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. His goal for me was to learn the heart of Christ via His Words and actions. As a janitor at one of our local Catholic schools I worked alone during the evening, so I took advantage of that solitude. I put in my earbuds, connected them to my smartphone, and listened to one whole book per night. I alternated each day spending Monday with Matthew, Tuesday with Mark, Luke was Wednesday, and John was Thursday. Friday I started the rotation all over again with Matthew, etc, etc.
At the end of that year (a whole year just with the gospels!) I learned more than I learned in Bible college. I learned the heart of God through the life of Christ. And I gotta tell you, it was life-changing. Many of the things we attribute to Christ are wrong, and a LOT of things we don’t do He did. I truly wish we had a full transcript of everything Jesus did and said as He traveled the land with His twelve disciples; however, scripture tells us the whole world couldn’t contain the books that transcript would involve. I can tell you with full confidence, however, my life has forever changed because of the time I spent that year with Him.
My challenge to you today, my friend, is to spend time with Him. I won’t tell you to do what I did – any more than I would tell you to spend three hours in prayer each day. Each of us has an individual pathway we walk, but we share a common Savior as Christians. Learn to whisper a quick “thank you” throughout the day for the little things God provides for you. Not just food, but a bargain at the store, a smile from a stranger, a chance meeting with an old friend. These and many others are little God-winks (as my friend Becca calls them). As you get into the habit of doing this you will find your relationship with Jesus warming up and you will begin to see His hand and sense His gentle nudges each day. Most of us mumble to ourselves all day long under our breath, why not mumble occasionally to the One Who gives us life and all things good? I hope you accept my challenge.
Be blessed.
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