He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, "Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood." After they had done this,he said, "Do the same thing again!" And when they were finished, he said, "Now do it a third time!" So they did as he said,and the water ran around the altar and even overflowed the trench.
An individual gave me a list of worries . . . real worries . . . hard things to face . . . health . . . finances . . . loneliness . . . real life challenges. The pressures of life increased after a trusted friend and counselor advised him to be prepared because "the worst is yet to come." Seriously, why do we human beings try to help people by telling them that life will get harder . . . who ever is encouraged by such incredible negativity? That said, life is hard . . . and, yes, life can become increasingly challenging . . . but . . . it is how we perceive and manage life that determines the outcome. We do not need to be ruled by circumstances, as difficult and challenging as they can be!
This is one reason that Elijah is such a great character to study . . . I mean the guy is outnumbered . . . he is facing some 450 prophets of Baal . . . and all the people . . . and the King who was looking to kill him . . . in an incredible drought and famine, a time where people were dying of thirst and hunger. At first glance, it would seem that the worst was yet to come for Elijah . . . something like a torturous untimely death. But Elijah sees through the situation . . . he understood his purpose was to help people see the presence and power of God.
So read the above verse and think about how Elijah lived his faith out loud. He built the altar with a trench around it.
Why? To catch the water? What was he thinking?
The land had dried up. They all were looking for water. No worries. . . he asked for water and drowned the wood with water three times. Think about what Elijah did. He used water when the people desperately needed every drop of the vital element of life.
Seriously, common sense would tell all of us that the worst was yet to come. We would want him to assess his situation and understand what he was facing. Elijah did not perceive life from circumstances or his abilities but from faith. So, he trusted God for the fire and rain. The worst was not to come . . . but the remarkable faith of one individual turned the circumstances of a whole nation upside down.
When you look for the presence of God . . . you see more in life.
Reformat your thinking from your circumstances and the possibility that the worst is yet to come.
Focus on God . . . become quiet . . . consciously refuse to think about the challenges and worries . . . breathe . . . be still . . . let go of every thought that does not belong . . . know God.
Thank God for being present. Sit and enjoy the presence of God.
Trust God rather than your circumstances or abilities.
"May the Lord of peace himself always give you his peace no matter what happens. The Lord be with you all" (2 Thessalonians 3:16, NLT)
Learning with you to see life through faith,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)
