I’ve been studying the Old Testament with my Bible study partner. Today’s read is indicative of how God views our spirit for following his commands. Elijah was hiding from the wicked Queen Jezebel who was scouring the country looking for him so she could kill him. He had prophesied that they would not receive any rain and then he beat it out of town and went into hiding.
God told him to go hide by a brook so he could drink its water and commanded the ravens to bring him food to eat. Eventually the brook ran out of water due to the drought he had predicted. He panicked but God told him to go to a little town close to him and there he would see a woman that would care for him. When he arrived sure enough a widow was standing in the gate. He asked that she give him a small portion of bread. She had just a tiny amount of flour and oil. It was barely enough to feed her, much less her son whom she intended to share it with for what could be their last meal. Elijah convinced her that there would be plenty of food for them and for her to have faith and obey God. She did as he asked. and the flour and oil never ran out. This is reminiscent of Jesus feeding the 5000 men with a few fish and loaves of bread. The baskets miraculously refilled themselves until everyone had eaten their fill and even had some leftover.
That was miracle number one. Soon her son got deathly ill and ended up dying. She came to Elijah and told him of the situation. and he agreed to come to her house. He went upstairs and raised the boy from the dead, reminiscent of Jesus raising the dead back to life with Lazarus. Miracle number two.
Elijah followed God’s command to the letter as did the widow. These are two examples of faith in action. If anyone follows God’s commands good thing happen because He is pleased and blesses them. Most all the kings who did evil died terrible deaths.
The Bible is full of stories such as this one. It is God telling us to obey Him. And if we do, good things will happen, if we do not follow Him by obeying His commands bad things including death will come upon us. This is not to say that everyone who does not sin will not experience trials and heartbreak and those who live with reckless abandon and do evil in the sight of the Lord will excel in this world. Job is an example of a righteous man being plagued by God.
It does say that the Lord loves those who do His will and follow His commands. Faith and living a righteous life can be hard work thanks to the temptations of Satan but it is available to all of us. Make no doubt about it if you have some determination you can receive God’s blessings just like Elijah. Simply have faith and follow every command that you can and become a righteous person.
Matthew 17:20
“… Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”