Sat.’s Devo - The Power of God

Read: 1 Kings 18:1-46; Acts 11:1-30; Psalm 135:1-21; Proverbs 17:P12-13 There had been no rain in Israel for three years when God told Elijah to go tell King Ahab that God was soon sending rain. *** The famine had become so severe Ahab had called in Obadiah his commander in charge of his palace. He wanted him to help him find enough grass to keep his horses and mules alive. Obadiah feared and served the Lord. He sent Obadiah one way and he went the opposite. Obadiah ran into Elijah and bowed down in honor. He told Elijah how he had hidden 100 prophets of God when Jezebel was seeking to kill all of God’s prophets. *** Elijah told him to tell Ahab he wanted to meet with him. At first, Obadiah was afraid that if he did, God would hide Elijah and Ahab would kill him instead, but Elijah promised he would meet with Ahab. ***When Ahab saw Elijah he exclaimed, “So is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?” *** Elijah answered it wasn’t him who had made trouble for Israel but him and his idol worship. He told him to call all Israel and all the prophets of Baal and Asherah to Mt. Carmel. Four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of Asherah met him at Carmel. He took the two bulls he had ordered and gave one to them. They were each to prepare an altar to their god and the one who burned the bull with fire would be the true god. The prophets of Baal agreed to the challenge. They prepared their altar and prayed first. For hours they did their dances, quoted their spells and cut themselves while Elijah mocked them. *** When they were exhausted and had no fire, Elijah prepared his altar. He dug a trance around his and poured precious water on the altar till it was overflowing. Then he called out to the Lord in one prayer and immediately fire came down from heaven and burned up the bull and licked up all the water in the trench. The people fell on their faces in fear and reverence to God. Elijah immediately had all the false prophets seized and taken down to the Kidron Valley where they were killed. Elijah told Ahab to eat something because a mighty rainstorm was coming and he would need the strength to get home. *** Elijah went back up Mt. Carmel and bowed down to pray. He sent his servant seven times to see if he saw rain. When finally, he saw a small rain cloud Elijah shouted to Ahab to hurry home to beat the storm. Soon the sky was black with clouds and a terrific rainstorm hit. God gave Elijah supernatural strength and he was able to outrun Elijah to Jezreel. *** Elijah had been one against 850 prophets and one king, yet he was not afraid. We have got to have this kind of courage against the evil of our day. Our voice counts no matter how small we think it is. *** In Acts, Peter went back to Jerusalem and was rebuked by the apostles and believers in Judah for entering the home of a Gentile (Cornelius). Peter told them about the vision he had been shown three times with the sheet of all the unclean animals on it. God had spoken and said not to call unclean if God had made it clean. *** At that same time, three men had come to his house to summon him to Cornelius’ house. God had given Cornelius Peter’s name and address and told him to get him to come and tell him his message of Christ. As he was preaching to them the Holy Spirit fell and baptized all of them in the Holy Spirit. Who was Peter to argue with what God was doing? *** When they heard the story, they stopped complaining and begin to praise God for what he was doing. They realized that Jesus’ salvation was for the Gentiles also. *** Other believers who had scattered during the persecution ended up in Gentile territories and began sharing with them the power of salvation through Christ. They had received him also. This was happening in Antioch so the apostles sent Barnabas to see and report back. He was full of stories of salvation and went to bring Saul there to help with all the new believers. Saul came and stayed a full year discipling the new believers. This was where the term “Christians” was first coined. *** Agabus came to Antioch and prophesied that a great famine was coming to the entire Roman world so they were able to prepare. Saul and Barnabas sent relief to the believers in Judea. *** We are to prosper in times of famine and have plenty in times of lack because our God supplies all we need. *** Lord, thank you for always taking care of us. We have nothing to fear. Help us to be generous and courageous.