Fri.’s Devo - The Cost

Read: 1 Kings 19:1-21; Acts 12:1-23; Psalm 136:1-26; Proverbs 17:14-15 When Ahab got to Samaria and told Jezebel that Elijah had called down fire from heaven and then killed all of her prophets she was livid. Elijah thought he was coming back to be the prophet of Israel, but instead he got a message from Jezebel swearing to kill him by that time tomorrow. Elijah fled to Beersheba, left his servant there, then walked all day into the wilderness and sat down under a tree to pray. Elijah, exhausted and defeated, soon fell asleep. An angel came and touched him and told him to get up and eat. There was hot baked bread and a jar of water so he ate it and went back to sleep. The angel touched him again and told him to get up and eat some more. He would need that nourishment for the journey ahead. He traveled 40 days and nights to Mt. Sinai and spent the night in a cave. The Lord appeared to him and asked him what he was doing there? Elijah explained how bad the nation had gotten and how he was the only one of his prophets left and they were trying to kill him also. God told him to go and stand on the mountain. The Lord passed by and a windstorm hit the mountain. Then there was an earthquake and after that, a fire. God wasn’t in any of them. When Elijah heard the gentle whisper of the Lord he went to the entrance of the cave and the Lord asked him again what he was doing there. He told him again that Israel had broken their covenant with him and he was the only one who was serving him. God told him to go back the way he had come and anoint Hazael to be king of Aram, Jehu to be king of Israel and Elisha to replace him as the prophet. Then he added that he had preserved 7,000 people in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal. Elijah started at the third thing God gave him to do. He went and found Elisha plowing his father’s field with 12 oxen. Elijah threw his cloak across his shoulders and walked away. Elisha knew what it meant and ran after Elijah telling him to wait until he could say good-bye to his parents. Elijah told him he would but Elisha needed to consider what it would mean to be the prophet of Israel. Elisha slaughtered all of his oxen and gave the meat to the townspeople. Then he went with Elijah. Elisha did this to show the Lord that he was giving all to his people. His livelihood would be serving God and his people. In Acts, King Herod Agrippa started persecuting the Christians. He started by killing James. When he saw how popular it made him with the other religious jews, he arrested Peter. He placed him under the guard of 16 soldiers. He was to have a public trial after the Passover. But the night before his trial, a bright light came into his cell and an angel stood before Peter and struck him on the side to awaken him. He told him to quickly get up. The chains fell off his wrists and he was told to get dressed and follow him. The angel led him right out of the jail to the street. When Peter realized it was not a dream he went to Mary’s home where many disciples were. The next morning there was a great commotion at the prison when they couldn’t find Peter in his cell. Herod ordered a search to be made of him and when he couldn’t be found, he had the guards killed. Peter went to Caesarea to stay for a while. Meanwhile, the people of Tyre and Sidon needed to make peace with Herod because they were dependent upon him for food so they sent a delegation to talk to his assistant Blastus. Herod met to hear their case and when he sat on his throne, the people hailed him as a god. Immediately the Lord struck Herod because he accepted their praise and he died of worms. When God says vengeance is mine, he means it and he will avenge his people. Elijah, Elisha and the early Christians lived what it meant to give your life to God. They were our examples of the cost of following God. Lord, this is comforting to know that you see everything and nothing gets by you. You are the God of Justice and Your truth will prevail against evil. We choose to follow You.