Pastor's Column 8/31/2025

PASTOR’S COLUMN

⁴⁵ “And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy rain brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. ⁴⁶  Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into His belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariots all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.”  1 Kings 18:45-46, NLT

“Strength For The Mission”

“As Moses blessed the Israelites, before he made his earthly transition, he said, “May your bars be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be.” (Deuteronomy 33:25, KJV).The Hebrew interpretation is  this text was a blessing extended to the Tribe of Asher, assuring them that if they obeyed God, there always would be provisions for their needs. Some have attributed the legendary 19^th Century preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeoon, as referring to this text when he encouraged his congregation: “Do not pray for a task equal to your strength, but pray for strength equal to the task.” We find in this timeless verse a clear message concerning God resourcing all who diligently pursue the responsibilities, which are given to them. The spiritual insight leaves no room for excuses or complaining. There is nothing we do at the Lord’s request, where we will be denied the resources we need to complete the job. The prophet Elijah believed God would send rain imminently to the drought-stricken region. He told his servant to look in the sky and report what he saw. The servant saw nothing. When the prophet summoned the servant to look again, a cloud the size of a person’s fist could be seen. This atmospheric display may have seemed like nothing – but not long after the tiny cloud was sighted a torrential rainfall covered the land. Isaiah, although aging, outran King Ahab’s chariot whom Elijah warned to quickly return to Jezreel. This was the center of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and where the royal palace of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel  was located. Before Elijah’s great feats, he acknowledged  “he alone was left” to confront the despotic king and queen of Israel.  Bur God gave him the special strength to prevail!