Scripture

1 Kings 17:13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

Observation

Ahab has become king of Israel and was farthest from God and keeping his commands. Then to top it off he married Jezebel 🙁 He set up idols to her god and what the enemy of Elijah. Elijah pronounced a drought and God spoke to him to go east of the Jordan.

1 Kings 17:5 So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

But then the brook dried up. Elijah had to move on with nothing to eat or drink.

1 Kings 17:7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

Understanding

Sometimes God asks us to let go of what we have so He can give us more.

The widow had nothing left to give. Remember Jesus said that when we give to the least of these we did it unto him.

Matthew 25:37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I can’t help but think that maybe Elijah in that moment was the “least” so that the widow would be able to minister to God, so that God would be able to minister to the widow.

Application

God will sustain us through the times of drought if we put our faith in Him.

He does not desire that our dry situation should become dead.

It’s a natural reaction to want to hold on to the “little” that we have, especially if it’s connected to our well being. God wants to give us more if we are willing to do the exchange.

1 Kings 17:15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

By faith, she gave the little she had and God supplied her with enough to feed Elijah, her family, and herself until the drought had ended.

By faith, she did what was right, to feed Elijah, a man who was thirsty and hungry and asking for help.

Holding on to what we have will soon run out.

Scripture

1 Corinthians 13:8-10

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 

Observation

Probably one of my most favorites. Paul is writing to the church of Corinth and, here, he turns to the topic of love – the need for and importance of it as well as some of the characteristics of it.

Understanding

All these years I’ve read and loved 1 Corinthians, I must be honest, I’ve camped out on verses 1-7 and ended it after the first part of verse 8 – Love never fails.  I still love those verses – the understanding that THAT is what love is, that we get to experience that perfect love from our perfect Father and that His love never fails.  Gets my heart all warm and fuzzy soaking in those verses.  But, reading today, I had to dig a little as I did not understand the part that came next.

But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.

And now, after having done some research, I might like this part even more than the first! 🙂

Matthew Henry’s commentary explains this way (bold emphasis mine)…

“(v. 9) Our best knowledge and our greatest abilities are at present like our condition, narrow and temporary. Even the knowledge they had by inspiration was but in part. How little a portion of God, and the unseen world, was heard even by apostles and inspired men! How much short do others come of them! But these gifts were fitted to the present imperfect state of the church, valuable in themselves, but not to be compared with charity, because they were to vanish with the imperfections of the church, nay, and long before, whereas charity was to last for ever.III. He takes occasion hence to show how much better it will be with the church hereafter than it can be here. A state of perfection is in view (v 10): When that which is perfect shall come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When the end is once attained, the means will of course be abolished. There will be no need of tongues, and prophecy, and inspired knowledge, in a future life, because then the church will be in a state of perfection, complete both in knowledge and holiness. God will be known then clearly, and in a manner by intuition, and as perfectly as the capacity of glorified minds will allow; not by such transient glimpses, and little portions, as here.”

You see, when God’s perfect love is complete, we will know Him and experience Him more and far deeper than we have yet or even can in our human condition.  I don’t know about you, but that excites me!

What we’ve experienced with God – even the most impactful encounters we’ve had – are just the beginning!

Life Application

The best is yet to come.  Live with ALL the love – as it is a representation of God and all His goodness and it’s one of the easiest ways we can share Him others – here and now; but look forward with anticipation to what’s to come…because we’ve only seen the smallest piece of how truly magnificent it will be. 

God, I thank you that you love us enough to reveal your nature to us…in amounts that we can withstand in our human condition.  But I look forward to seeing and experiencing you fully!  May I take every opportunity to seek you, to love you, to share your love with others today. 

Rei

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PS Check out this song…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSYQKt5vgVs

Scripture  1 Corinthians 12:12-13  Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 

Observation-What does it say?:  Because the city of Corinth is a trade hub, where people from different cultural backgrounds and far off locales converged, we see how God’s grace is truly meant for all people.  Paul points out that we are all subject to Christ and the Holy Spirit, who poured out grace and spiritual gifts on us.  Furthermore, we are dependent on the other members of our body in fulfilling God’s will in the world and in our individual lives.  Because of the nature of the city, there couldn’t have been a better place to show the impartiality of God’s love.  God loves us no matter what our background, and he gives us gifts based on his need.

Understanding-What does it mean?:  It seems to me, in retrospect, the trying times in my life have been some of the best times in my life.  They are never fun in the moment, but I always seem to learn and grow the most.  They are also the times that I have experienced the love of the church the most, and was able to see my dependence on others.  

While living in Oregon during bible college, I came down with the most painful stomach ache of my life.  I ended up in the hospital for a few days, with no sign of what the cause was.  I ended up having to have “exploratory surgery.”  When the doctor told me what was going to happen, I was in so much pain that my concern for what “exploratory” meant didn’t matter.  I wanted the pain to stop, and I didn’t care how it happened.  During the surgery, the doctor found my small intestine had wrapped around a piece of scar tissue from another surgery.  This blocked my small intestine and cut a hole in the wall of that organ.

I spent almost a month in the hospital while I recovered.  While there, I was visited by a large number of my class mates and people from church.  They prayed over me and offered love and encouragement in an overwhelming way.  I had only been in school for about two months before going into the hospital, so I barely knew any of these people.  But, God was showing me how much I needed other people.  He was showing me how much I needed to depend on Him.  In my best times, I tend to act like I don’t need others and that I can take care of myself.  But when I am struggling, I experience God’s love and provision through the kind acts of the church body.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians that Jesus is the “head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (1:22-23).  When we act in our area of gifting, we are helping to make the body work how it should.  Where I lack, others may excel, and I can only thank God for those around me.

Life Application:  Jesus, help me to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and how I am gifted.  I know that my gifting is meant for a certain purpose in Your will and plan.  Thank you for the diversity of the people you have called to work for you, that through all of the parts of the body You are glorified.  

-Tyler Galloway

Scripture

1 Kings 12:26-27 26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”

Observation

King Rehoboam, King Solomon’s son, has become king of Israel. Jeroboam was one of King Solomon’s officials that had turned against him and went before King Rehoboam on behalf of the people.

1 Kings 12:3-4 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: 4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

King Rehoboam responded harshly and their was a split in the kingdom. But God had spoke to Jeroboam about this in the previous chapter:

1 Kings 11:37 However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. 38 If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you.

Understanding

Trust in the Lord’s promise to you!

God was going to give Jeroboam a kingdom in the same way he gave to King David! And he let fear creep in… (sigh) so sad! Instead of trusting God, the creator of all the universe, to do what he said he would do, Jeroboam decided to secure his own future, you know… “help” God.

1 Kings 12:28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 29 One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.

When will I trust that God will do what he said!?

Application

Keep your eyes on HIM!

It’s so easy to let fear creep in. As soon as we have powerful encounter with God or he speaks an amazing promise to us,

here comes the storm, here comes the waves… here comes the financial difficulty, here comes the miscommunication in our relationships, here comes the sickness…

tossing us, trying to get our attention off of HIM!

Oh Father! Let us be like Mary when she heard the word of the LORD!

Scripture 

1 Corinthians 10:3-5-

3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

Observation-What does it say?

This speaks about the issue of idolatry and pride in a Believer’s life, not an unbeliever’s life to be clear. As the passage points out, some of Israel were faithful to God, but “God was not pleased with most of them” (vs. 5) because of their idolatry and sin. There were consequences as a result of their actions. Scripture points out the following in verses 8-10: 

Some committed sexual immorality-the consequence: in one day, 23,000 of them died.

Some tested Christ- the consequence: they were killed by snakes.

Some grumbled- the consequence: they were killed by the destroying angel.

Understanding-What does it mean?

Learn from the mistakes of the past. Learn from the idolatry and consequences of Israel. It’s better to do things right the first time, than suffer the consequences of unwise choices. 

Galatians 6:7-Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not even our sin because He died for us WHILE we were sinners (Romans 5:8). However, there are consequences to sin and consequences for children of God are inescapable as a result of loving discipline from our Heavenly Father. 

Whenever I discipline my kids, I always remind them that I’m doing it because I love them. I tell them that if I didn’t love them, then I wouldn’t discipline them. I learned that method of parenting from my Heavenly Father. (Please see Hebrews 12:5-11)

Life Application

Let us learn from our own mistakes and the mistakes of other believers and the consequences of their sin; but at the same time, don’t allow the enemy to gain a foothold because of pride.

1 Corinthians 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Basically, don’t believe the lie that we are too faithful to fall. It doesn’t matter if we’ve been a Christian for less than a year or 30 years. None of us are immune to temptation; however, God is faithful and will always provide a way out as we pursue purity and develop safeguards to be above reproach. None of us have to fall prey to the enemy’s lies because we are no longer slaves to sin. We are free from sin and slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18). Thank You Jesus! 

Dear Lord, idolatry and pride are deadly combinations as Your Word pointed out. Thank You for not sugar coating the Scriptures, but revealing the good, bad and ugly of the past so that we can learn from it. I pray for humility of heart to apply what we learn through Your Word, through other believers and also through the discipline You lovingly provide us throughout our lives as we are shaped more into Your image. May You get all the honor and glory as we live our lives set apart for You alone. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

-Michelle Gaddi

Scripture

1 Corinthians 8:1

¹ …We know that “We all possess knowledge.  ”But knowledge puffs up while love builds up…”

Observation

Apostle Paul is writing to the church or Corinth.  Some of the Corinthians bring to him questions about eating things that had been sacrificed to idols; but he first directs their attention to their pride about their knowledge.  We later learn that, truly, the meat or the fact that’s it’s been sacrificed is not the concern but, rather, if it could be stumbling block to new/fellow/weak Christians, best to avoid.  To cause a brother/sister to stumble is a sin against them and against Christ.

Understanding

I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. – Leviticus 26:19

But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. – 2 Chronicles 26:16

In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. – Psalm 10:4

Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. – Psalm 73:6

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. – Proverbs 11:2

A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them. – Proverbs 14:3

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. – Proverbs 16:18

Pride brings along with it all kinds of troublesome things – violence, arrogance, destruction, disgrace, downfall; and it seems to be a natural challenge for most people.  Even those of us who say we love and trust God can sometimes be quick to take credit for (and pride in) what God is doing in our lives – as if it is by our own works.  Even so, there’s good news!  [Seems there always is with God. 🙂  A simple solution – STAY HUMBLE and course correct (or repent) when you catch yourself being prideful.

Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah. – 2 Chronicles 32:26

Repentance protects us from God’s wrath.  And humility creates space for honor for the one who deserves it – God.  God is the one who is worth of and WILL BE exalted.

The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. – Isaiah 2:11

And, apparently, that was important enough to God to mention again…just 6 verses later.  Seems that might just mean something. 🙂

The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, – Isaiah 2:17

Life Application

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46:10

God, I thank you that you welcome a repentant heart.  Forgive me for the times I’ve allowed my pride to get in the way, to hold me back from giving YOU the honor and glory that you so richly deserve.  Help me to be still, to be grateful, to turn the attention where it is due…for EVERYthing good that comes my way – no matter how big or small. May I take time today to remove any puff of pride and, instead, replace it with the building up of others with your love…in a way that turns hearts towards you. I love you and am grateful to be seen, known and loved by you; may my life reflect that today.

In your name I pray. 

Rei

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SCRIPTURE ¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John…¹⁶ Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous–to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

God has a plan and purpose for mankind and history is His story unfolding.  His plans and purposes will be accomplished and they are accomplished in partnership with people.

Why did God choose Zechariah and Elizabeth? There are some clues in the account .  Both of them were upright people who served God faithfully and who were obedient to His commands.  They lived a life of faith and worship to God. But I think there is another reason why God chose this couple, we see it in the statement the angel made right after he calmed down a very frightened Z.  He says, “God has heard your prayer!”  I wonder if God in chooses those who are praying.  Peter quoting the psalmist says…

• 1 Peter 3:12 (NKJV)  For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers…

What if praying puts us smack in the middle of God’s radar?  God says, “I’m looking for someone who can be a part of my plan, oh there you are, I hear you praying!” God is looking for pray-ers to work through.  My encouragement is to start praying for the things that God would put on my heart and then be ready for God to use me to help accomplish His great and glorious plan.