40 Days of Purpose Preview
What on Earth Am I Here For?
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Friday, September 26, 2003
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for showing us ALL sides of biblical heroes. Thank You for showing us that sometimes, actually many times, they were weak, because they forgot to trust totally in You. While that was not Your desire, it shows us that there’s hope for us. It shows us that You don’t just redeem sinners, but that You continue to redeem us as we grow through the process of becoming more and more like You. I pray that you will fill me with Your Holy Spirit today that all that I think, say and do, will serve to bring You the glory and honor that you deserve. Show me how I may be more faithful today than I was yesterday, and lead me always to a deeper faith and obedience as I follow You each day. This I pray in the strong name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
Bible Verses
1 Kings 19:1-9a
1When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel what Elijah had done and that he had slaughtered the prophets of Baal. 2So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods also kill me if by this time tomorrow I have failed to take your life like those whom you killed.” 3Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. 4Then he went on alone into the desert, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” 5Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” 6He looked around and saw some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you.” 8So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai,£ the mountain of God. 9There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.
Reflecting on Elijah's Life
What do you see in Elijah’s life that reminds you of yourself? Where do you see Elijah as different than you?
Exploring the Scriptures
What caused Elijah to run away?
Does Elijah’s response seem appropriate, given that God had just used him to defeat the priests of Baal and Asherah (850 of them!)?
How does God show Elijah that He is still with Him, even though Elijah is desperate and afraid?
Understanding How I Can Learn and Grow from Elijah's Life
What does the angel’s provision for Elijah in his “trial time” tell you about God’s provision in your life?
What is the clearest way God has ever provided for you in your life?
Applying Elijah's Teachings to My Daily Life
What can you apply from Elijah’s life, based on the Scripture you just read?
How Can I Learn and Grow From Elijah's Life
Not every lesson we learn from the Bible, or in our lives, is a “positive” lesson. In today’s Scripture Elijah teaches us about desperation, about a desire to “throw in the towel” and just be done with life. We didn’t read today’s Scripture to learn how we are to live, but to see that Elijah wasn’t always a role-model for us. Sometimes he was an “object lesson.” This is true in our daily lives as well. Sometimes we watch other Christians, or listen to what they say, and our tendency when what they say or do is negative is to say, “I can’t learn anything from that,” or even, “All this teaches me is that God doesn’t do anything in ____’s life. Just because one apple is bad, we don’t stop eating apples, right? We’re just a little more careful the next time we pick up an apple to make sure it isn’t rotten or wormy. My point is God uses ALL things to teach us and help us grow. Sometimes the worst experiences of our lives are the best teaching tools. We must be open to God’s leading and working, as Elijah was, even when he was ready to die! Life is not always positive. Sometimes there are long stretches of negative in our lives. God wants to teach us during those times, and cause us to grow. We must be willing to see the lessons in those times and learn from them. As we do we will honor God, and others will see that Christianity is a faith and lifestyle for the “real” world. After all, if God’s power doesn’t work in our darkness, it isn’t much help is it? May we learn from Elijah’s mistakes, so we don’t make them ourselves!
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