Willing to Serve

1 Kings 18: 5-6

“5 Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.” 6 So they divided the land between them to pass through it; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.”

Obadiah, a good man, a man of God, served God in secret and served Ahab, an evil king and ruler, each day.  Reading about Obadiah today, we may think that Obadiah should have chosen God and distanced himself from Ahab; that Obadiah should not have helped Ahab find good pastures for his animals or managed his palace.

But Obadiah saw his position as Ahab’s palace manager as an opportunity to serve God.  He used his wealth and influence to keep the prophets of God alive.

We may think that we can serve God only in the company of godly people.  The examples of Obadiah, Moses, Abraham, Paul, Philip, show us that it is possible to serve God in all places and in all situations. 

All we have to do is listen to God’s Holy Spirit, be open to the possibilities,… and be willing to serve.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Even in Chaos

1 Kings 18: 1-4

“1 After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year of the drought, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab; I will send rain on the earth.” 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria. 3 Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah revered the Lord greatly; 4 when Jezebel was killing off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets, hid them fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water.)”

After WWII, stories began to spread about the people who helped to save the Jews who were being persecuted and killed by the Nazis.  These were people who risked their lives as well as the lives of their family members to help people they did not know.  They saved thousands of lives as well as the children, the grandchildren and the great grandchildren who were born of these people. 

Obadiah was such a person.  Jezebel, the wife of the bad King, Ahab, was killing the prophets of the one true God.  Obadiah was a man of importance and position, but above all he loved the Lord.  

Because of his love for God he risked everything he had and his life when he hid 100 of the prophets of God in caves in various places.  He not only hid them, he continued to visit them and give them food and water.

Throughout history humans have persecuted and killed innocent people and fought wars that have caused massive destruction and loss of life; 

But even in the midst of this chaos God’s love has survived through the lives and actions of a few people who were willing to risk everything because of their love of God.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Never Quench the Spirit

1 Kings 18:17-19

“17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 He answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore have all Israel assemble for me at Mount Carmel, with the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Ahab, the evil King of Israel, had forsaken the one true God and begun worshiping the Baals, yet he called Elijah the “troubler of Israel”.  Ahab blamed Elijah for the drought and the subsequent famine.  In reality, God had withheld the rain because of Ahab and his worship of false gods.

Our sins often cause us to be blind to the impact that our actions have and deaf to the people who try to offer us advice.  We become irritated by these “know-it-alls” and we might even blame them for the trouble that has arisen because of our sins.

The Holy Spirit that indwelles each believer, will convict us of our sins and lead us to repentance… only if we will listen to the voice of the Spirit.

“Never quench the Spirit.” (1 Thess. 5:19)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Dry Stream

1 Kings 17:2-7

2 The word of the Lord came to him [Elijah], saying, 3 “Go from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord; he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi. 7 But after a while the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.”

A wadi is a dry stream that is only filled with water during times of rain.  God asked Elijah to hide from the wrath of Ahab at the Wadi Cherith.  God told Elijah that he would drink from the wadi and he would be fed by the ravens that lived there.

Elijah knew that God was withholding the rain from Israel for three years and that the wadi would soon be dry.  Ravens were considered to be unclean birds since they are scavengers (Lev. 11, Deut. 14).  The meat they would bring to Elijah would be the meat of  scavenged animals.  The bread they would bring would be unclean by virtue of the bird that carried it.

God’s instructions to Elijah flew in the face of religion and common sense.  Yet Elijah’s relationship with God was so close, and  God’s voice was so clear to him, that Elijah did not hesitate to obey God.

Elijah’s religion consisted of more than a set of instructions and commands.  His religion was grounded on the relationship he had with and the trust he had in the one true living God.  

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)