#DailyDevotion Do You Trust The LORD’s Word?

1 Kings 17:8-16 ⁸Then the LORD spoke to him: ⁹“Leave and go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. I’ve ordered a widow there to feed you.” ¹⁰He left and went to Zarephath. As he came to the gate of the town, a widow was gathering wood, and he called to her: “Please bring a little water in a jar for me to drink.”

One of the problems we often make as people of the Book, is we read some portions of scriptures and try to make them speak to us in a manner in which they were not meant to speak to us. They are narratives of how God, the LORD acted in one persons life and then we translate that into God is going to do the same for us. So, what do I mean? The LORD sent Elijah to Zarephath. Should we go to Zarephath when we read this? Well, no. The LORD orders a widow to feed Elijah during this famine in the land. Should we expect the LORD to provide a widow for us to feed us in a famine? Uh, no. Should we beg a widow for some water if we are thirsty? Sure, but not because this is written in Scripture. This passage of Scripture so far does not seem to have a lot meaning to it without the rest of the passage if we can’t abuse it in manner I’ve described above. So, use this as a lesson in what not to do when reading Scripture in your personal devotions or teaching. We need that sometimes also.

Is there anything here then we can use and apply to ourselves? Well, yes there is. You might remember Elijah had predicted there would be no rain in the land until the Word of the Lord said there would be. He had followed the LORD’s directions hiding out in a certain place until the brook there dried up. Now the LORD tells Elijah to go into foreign land, to a foreigner to ask for help. The LORD promised him she would take care of him. Elijah believed and then acted.

This is the lesson you should learn from this brief portion of Scripture. Where the LORD speaks and what the LORD speaks should be believed. I’m not just talking about simple assent (the sky is blue. ok.) I mean trusted and believed. If the LORD says, Ex. 34:6 “the LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, slow to get angry, rich in love and faithfulness, ⁷continuing to show mercy to thousands, forgiving wrong, rebellion, and sin, without treating it as innocent, but disciplining children and children’s children to the third and fourth generation for the sins of their fathers.” We should believe that, trust that and act accordingly from our hearts. If the LORD is that way with us, we should be that way with others in our lives because the LORD commands us to be like him.

Elijah believed the LORD and acted in accordance with his faith. Jesus tells us in Matt. 6, “³¹Don’t worry, then, and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or, ‘What are we going to drink? or, ‘What are we going to wear?’…Your Father in heaven knows you need them all. ³³Seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you, too. ³⁴So, don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Do you believe this? Do you trust it enough to live according to it? If you don’t act on it what are you telling Jesus? What are you calling him? You have a promise from him. Will you like Elijah find him trustworthy enough to live as if it is true? You’ll be happier if you will and do.

Heavenly Father, grant us your Holy Spirit that we may believe all the word, the promises you make to us in Scripture, so we may live according to your will and have your joy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.