So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah was a devoted follower of the LORD. Once when Jezebel had tried to kill all the LORD's prophets, Obadiah had hidden one hundred of them in two caves. He had put fifty prophets in each cave and had supplied them with food and water.)
(I Kings 18:3-4, NLT).
Tim and other college-age kids have been communicating about their mutual friend that died this past week through Facebook.* In the course of discussions, Tim's friend has been noted to have been a fully devoted Christ-follower. Wow! Pretty incredible for such a young age . . . to be known to live fully and purposefully for Christ . . . how many people fail to discern their purpose at any time in life . . . let alone a 20-year-old who has just begun the process of life as an adult . . . I am just saying . . . unusual . . . don't you think?
I Kings records a similar unusual person with what seems to be an unusual name in our culture and context . . . Obadiah. Though Obadiah lived during an extreme famine and served evil rulers, he was known as devoted follower of the Lord. How do we know this is so significant? Study the Bible and notice . . . it is the significant things that bring us into understanding of the story of God that has been recorded. It is significant that Obadiah was known as a devoted follower.
His actions revealed his heart. He protected and provided for the prophets at the risk of his own life. The prophets were the individuals who typically warned the people of what would happen if they separated their lives from God. Look at this passage closely; he hid the prophets in caves . . . which not only took some strategic and secretive planning but a risk to go against the known evil rulers that employed him. Secondly, he provided one hundred prophets with food and water in an extreme famine. So he risked everything by providing those kind of resources in a famine that had just worsened according to verse 2 ("Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe in Samaria"). Yikes! His actions revealed what he was known for: a devoted follower.
How do we live fully devoted to God?
We read in the letter to Corinthians:
13 Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.
14 Let all that you do be done in love.
(I Corinthians 16, NRS)
Take time to think about what you are known for . . . and what some vital components of a devoted follower include . . .
Keep alert: Be on the alert for opportunities to serve God through words and actions.
Stand firm in your faith: We are to take a stance of faith regardless of difficulties, disappointments, and challenges of life.
Be courageous: Face and move through difficulties despite our fears.
Be strong: Authentic strength is received from the power, presence, and peace of God and particularly revealed in tough times.
Let all that you do be done in love: Yikes . . . this is not saying out of obligation or responsibility, we are told to act in love . . . which evidently includes people that do not live in love. Devoted followers access the power of the love of God to flow through every word and action. The love of Christ is the key component of life to a devoted follower.
Learning with to you what to do to be known as a devoted follower,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)
* Facebook is a networking site that began about four years ago for Harvard students, now used by individuals from a variety of learning institutions and organizations for the purpose of communicating with others.
