28th.: Elijah’s Growing Trust in the Lord
We have to grow in spiritual maturity. The prophet Elijah had to.
One example of this is seen in an account about King Ahab’s son, Ahaziah.
Sometime after Ahaziah became sick, he became sick.
He then sent messengers to the false god, Baalzebub, to find out if he would get better.
The prophet, Elijah, intercepted the messengers. He sent them back to Ahaziah, telling him that he would die.
Ahaziah did not like this message.
So he sent a platoon of soldiers to arrest Elijah (2nd Kings 1:1-9).
Many years earlier, Elijah had fled, when Ahaziah’s mom, Jezebel, threatened him.
Now Elijah’s trust in the Lord had grown so strong, that he simply asked the Lord to rain down fire on the soldiers.
This happened, not once, but twice (2nd Kings 1:10-12).
This does not mean that we should ask God to send fire down on our enemies.
Jesus’ disciples, James and John, once asked Jesus if they should call fire down on a Samaritan city, like what Elijah once did, because the city refused to show Jesus hospitality (Luke 9:52-54). Jesus refused their request saying, “For the son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” (Luke 9:55a).
It took time for Elijah to trust God enough to rain fire down upon his enemies.
Likewise, John and James were also having to learn what God wants.
God has a different plan for each person. It can take time for us to learn to ask God according to that plan, which God has for us.
“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement … . Perfect love casts out fear.” (1st John 4:17a, 18b)