~ Seek God First ~

[Lani]

1 Kings 19:1-12
1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.



I call on the Lord in my distress and he answers me. Psalm 120:1 (NIV)





I've always been a worrier. However, I thought when I became a Christian that I would no longer worry or fear. When that didn't happen, I wondered what I was doing wrong. The story of Elijah gave me insight into the answer. Elijah relied on God day after day for survival, and he witnessed many miracles. He was fed by ravens, ate bread made from a nearly empty jug of oil and jar of flour, and saw a dead boy “restored to life.”

Even though Elijah experienced all this, he was overwhelmed by fear when he heard of Jezebel's promise to kill him. Elijah depended on his own strength and eventually prayed for death. It wasn't until Elijah finally sought God that he was able to rest.

I was encouraged to see that fear and worry are common and normal emotions. I also realized that I should focus my effort not on eliminating emotions but on seeking God. God does not promise to deliver us from every difficulty. But we are promised that God will respond when we call, that God will give us the ability to get through the tough times. We can experience incomprehensible peace if we remember to seek God.



Prayer: Dear Lord, help us remember to look to you when we feel overwhelmed by circumstances around us. Amen.


Prayer Focus of Day: Those who struggle with fear and worry



Thought for the Day: Make a list of your worries and then burn or shred it as a sign of entrusting those concerns to God's care.

Story shared by: D. Middlebrook (GA)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional: 8/19/11