✝ Daily Encouragement (9/28/23) "The Lord Lives, Whom I Serve"

Published: Thu, 09/28/23

A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.

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Thursday, September 28, 2023

Miss Daisy, an Old Windmill Farm goat, getting a driving lesson.

Personal note: Very early this morning Ester and took Brooksyne to Baltimore for a 6:30AM flight to Nashville to meet up with her sister Elaine. After Nashville they will be traveling to Arkansas for several days and then to Oklahoma to see both sides of Brooksyne's family. Next weekend she will be attending her 50th high school class reunion in Tulsa!

"The Lord Lives, Whom I Serve"

Message summary: Today we need men and women, teenagers and children, all around the world, who like Elijah will unashamedly declare their faith in the living God. May we personally proclaim, "The Lord lives, whom I serve" and boldly confront our apostate culture. Consider ways that we might go about doing that today.

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"Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word'" (1 Kings 17:1).

Brooksyne has taught children since she committed her life to Christ in Junior High School over 50 years ago. Over the years she's had her share of memories from the impromptu expressions of children, some rather humorous.

Once she was teaching on Elijah and, in describing him, she told the children that he was a "bold man." Making sure that she was not talking over their heads, she asked her preschoolers what the word "bold" meant. Mandy quickly raised her hand and answered in her little but confident voice, "He didn't have no hair". Brooksyne very simply and delicately pointed out the difference in the words, "bald" and "bold". Interestingly, Elisha, who followed Elijah, was indeed a bald man! (2 Kings 2:23)

Elijah was among the greatest characters of the Bible. We have no background information on him except for that found in the daily text, "The Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead", which is how he is introduced into the Biblical narrative.

"Elijah demonstrates a persevering stand for God."

He served God during the notoriously wicked reign of Ahab and Jezebel. He is distinct in the manner of his exit from this world and for later standing with Jesus and Moses at the Mount of Transfiguration.

He is introduced into the Biblical record by boldly approaching the wicked, polytheistic king with an eternally true declaration: "As the Lord, the God of Israel lives..." Today, some 2,850 years later we who follow Christ likewise proclaim, " The Lord lives".

But it's the next phrase in the Scripture text that especially grips my heart; only three simple, monosyllabic words, "whom I serve". What a bold statement to make before the wicked and powerful king who in the previous chapter was described as one who "did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him" (2 Kings 16:30). He had made it very clear how he felt about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In our day, as believers, we often let fear override our boldness as we attempt to witness. We keep the message subtle so there is no fallout if the recipient rejects our witness. But Elijah took a bold, unambiguous stand for the living God, and suffered yet stood firm in the consequences.

In the next chapter he is ready to confront Ahab again, along with the prophets of Baal, on Mount Carmel. Similar to the opening statement about him in our daily text in 1 Kings 18:15 we read, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve..." This demonstrates the persevering nature of Elijah's stand.

Prosperity, along with spiritual apostasy (falling away from the faith), characterized the reign of Ahab. This story is an interesting parallel to world conditions today, isn't it! Certainly I know that many in the world live in severe poverty and that here in America, as well as many other countries, we face economic uncertainty but I still assert, for the most part, we live in prosperous conditions.*

Ahab, though a descendant of Abraham, didn't want to hear from this prophet and set out to kill him as a result of this prophecy of drought. And there are plenty today who don't want to hear anything from those who represent the living God and faithfully seek to proclaim the truths in the Bible.

The road to apostasy begins with a four-word question. They're the same four words that worked so masterfully against Eve in the Garden of Eden and have proven effective on countless humans ever since. Just four words: "Did God really say?" (Peter Heck)

Today we need men and women, teenagers and children, all around the world, who like Elijah will unashamedly declare their faith in the living God. May we personally proclaim, "The Lord lives, whom I serve" and boldly confront our apostate culture. Consider ways that we might go about doing that today.

Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13 )

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, I boldly declare that You are the living God whom I serve. Only a God like You can turn evil into good, exchange sorrow for joy, or offer life beyond the grave. Like Elijah, I want to fearlessly proclaim You to be the Lord and Savior of my life and tell of all Your wondrous deeds. I join with the apostle Paul in asking that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel to those who have not yet heard or comprehended its meaning for their lives. Amen.

* Prosperous Conditions - As our standard of living has risen so has our expectations and sense of entitlement to the "good life". When we do not receive what we feel we are entitled to, we may feel less than prosperous. This is a deception. Most all of us have indoor plumbing, electricity, a roof over our head and many other material blessings that others do not have.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Praise You Anywhere" Watch video on YouTube Brandon Lake

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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.

Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

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