Moses, Elijah and You by Blaise Tshibwabwa - HTML preview

 

Time has definitely elapsed, it’s more than ten years later, and that moment in life is still fresh and clear.

 

I know you have heard the hymn, “Days of Elijah” (If not I encourage you to youtube it!)

 

From that hymn, my curiosity increased, and stud deepened. I took a few breaks here and there, went through ups and downs. But the discovery is immense and heart beating.

 

Elijah’s name is not just a name! The Hebrew word for God in the Old Testament is Elohim, which is also abbreviated as El. The word Jah is the word for Jehovah. Consequently, in Elijah’s name we find the word for God and the word for Jehovah; and between we have the letter I, which in Hebrew can be my or mine. When you putt all these together you get – My God is Jehovah –

 

 I have received several prayers requests via my blog and also directly from family, friends, friends of friends, brothers and sisters in Christ and the common thing is that everyone seems to wonder how much more can they do that they haven’t done that they have tried to do. Well, God sometimes seems to put us in the wise, and then He tightens it and tightens it more, until we think, in the pain of His sovereign squeeze, “Why me? What is He doing to me?”

We walk closer to Him and everyday try earnestly to get closer to Him but still more tests come, one after another, at times together, they come and they come.

 

Elijah was there, but he did not vacillate. He stayed there, stood tall and silent in the shadow of God. Elijah’s faith was grounded, Elijah was confident of his Lord’s power. Elijah did not seat there and question God. He did not lose control, instead, he was humble.

 

 Imagine, yourself in Elijah’s situation.

 

Now it came about after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe, that there was no breath left in him.

 

So she said to Elijah, - What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my inquiry to remembrance, and to put my son to death! -

 

And he said to her, - Give me your son -  Then he took him from her bosom and carried him up to the upper room where he was living, and laid him to his own bed.

1 Kings 17:17-19

 

What do you do when tragedy strikes? What do you do when a test comes? What’s your first response? Is it to complain? Is it to blame the other person? Is it to try to reason your way out of it?

Have you taken the time to go to your special place and get alone with God?

 

There is no better mentor than Elijah, No panic, No fear, No rush, No doubt. Elijah understood and believed something with firm assurance.

 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High.

Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

 

I will say of the Lord, “My refuge and fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”

For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper,

And from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with His pinions,

And under His wings you may seek refuge;

 

His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

 

Psalm 91:1-4

 

A major part of God’s immutable nature is that He keeps His promises. He doesn’t hold out hope with nice-sounding words, then renege on what He said He would do. God is moody like us.

I have assisted to a few forums with young adults, gone in a few Sunday school classes to hear what the upcoming generation had to say about the wonderful word of God, and they say at times it’s hard to relate the events of the bible with the modern-day. Surprisingly, adults aged between 25 all the way to the late 60’s say that too.

 

Being in either of those categories is not a problem. It is a matter of doing something about it.

 

There are a few things that you may want to consider in order to burst out of that cloud.

 

When we are sure that we are in the will of God, we are invincible. Nothing is more comforting and encouraging than knowing that we are. Because no matter the circumstances, no matter what happens, we can stand fast. You might be unemployed but know that you are in the will of God. You can be in a threatening situation but know that you are in the will of God. When you do as per the will of God, it is never you alone. It is always you plus God doing it together.

 

Idolatry is wrong, and divided allegiance is as wrong as open idolatry. Elijah told the people of Israel to make the decision. “Either you are for God or against Him.”

 

Many are those who claim to be Christians but are not fully committed. Now is the time to stop and commit your life to Christ. You owe to speak tactfully yet fearlessly speak devotedly of your faith. It’s as simple as being grounded and voicing it out when you do not agree with the ungodly cultural drift that is happening around you. God can use you at work, your school, your business.

 

Prayer, is a wonderful asset that we have as Christians but it is even more effective when we have the prayer of faith. Prayer should be your first and only resort. Look back, yesterday, two days ago, seven days ago…when was it that you last set aside time for prayer? When is the last time that you took a good thirty minutes or fifteen minutes of uninterrupted time with God?

 

Young couples tend to think that now that we are married, we have to do everything together! Yes, I encourage that but be careful. It is not because you had evening prayer with your spouse that you do not need to set aside some personal time alone for God…and it is important for your spouse to respect that time too! The most effective tool of the believer is PRAYER.

 

Dedication is intense and serious. Do not underestimate the power of one totally dedicated life.

Dedicate your life to God, the Bible clearly unveils stories of the difference one person’s dedication to God has made. There has been several showdowns and one of the greatest is the one of Calvary, the enemy of God was defeated by the sacrifice of God’s own son.  God had one dedicated life He could count on: His own dear Son, Jesus-Christ. He changed all of history.

 

Elijah’s life was entirely dedicated to God that he translated in his character. The scriptures are silent about his past history. Suddenly and with abrupt impetuosity the figure of the prophet bursts upon the scene to rebuke the godless and to reawaken and restore the nation of which he was a part.

 

The more you take your time to read your bible and pray by faith, you will realize how much of a Super Amazing God you have in your life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The character

 

Elijah, was a fearless, bold and dauntless reformer.

 

When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

 “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

   But the people said nothing.

Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the LORD’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”

   Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” So they took the bull given them and prepared it.

   Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!”

Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said.

Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”

So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

 

Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the LORD came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. (1 Kings 18:17 - 46)

 

 

 

 

Elijah was a mighty intercessor, praying with faith and intensity.

 

Then he cried out to the LORD, “LORD my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” (1 Kings 17:20)

 

The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.

(1 Kings 17:22)

 

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

(1 Kings 18: 36-38)

 

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

(James 5:17)

 

Elijah was a God-inspired prophet ready to obey and trust God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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