Mantle of Power

Elijah’s no-death contract suddenly went into effect. Elijah, prophet of power—gone. Elisha, prophet of double power—here, ready, and about to be used greatly by his God. When a man or woman of God dies, nothing of God dies.

Times of Searching

Self-denial does not come naturally. It is a learned virtue (often hard-learned), encouraged by few and modeled by even fewer, especially among those who are what we’ve come to know as Type A personalities.

Straight Talk

Today, countless people seek to know the future. Newspapers and magazines carry horoscope columns. Television networks advertise psychic hotlines. Bus stop benches boast ads for palm readers.

Consistent Heroism

We cannot help but admire Elijah’s consistent heroism. The man is alone, standing before the king and, surely, surrounded by armed warriors, faithful to Ahaziah, who could have finished him off with one thrust of a spear.

Two Solemn Reminders

After recording these dire predictions, spoken by the Lord through Elijah, the writer of 1 Kings gives this commentary on the lives of Ahab and Jezebel: “Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil . . .”

Look Up

Thanks to God’s kind and gentle dealing, Elijah crawled out of the cave. “He departed from there.” God graciously nurtured him through rest and refreshment, gave him some wise counsel, and made him feel significant again.

Come Out

God met his servant Elijah in his desperate moment of discouragement and despair. This is mercy at its best, beautifully portrayed by the Master Himself. First, God allowed Elijah a time of rest and refreshment.

When the Darkness Hits

Why did Elijah fear Jezebel’s intimidating threats? Why did he run away from his longstanding priority of serving God and hide in fear under the shadow of that solitary tree, deep in the wilderness?

The Blues

Elijah was a heroic prophet, without question. He was also a man of great humility, as we have seen. But let’s keep in mind that he was just a man—a human being, subject to the human condition, as we all are.

The Big Leagues

We read about Elijah and we say, “Wow, he’s in the big leagues. He’s a spiritual giant. I’m a pygmy in comparison to him. He’s in another world entirely.” Not true. Look again. James doesn’t say, “Elijah was a mighty prophet of God.”