But when Ahab heard Elijah’s message of impending judgment, he tore his clothing, dressed in burlap, and fasted. He even slept in burlap and went about in deep mourning. Then another message from the Lord came to Elijah: “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has done this, I will not do what I promised during his lifetime…” (I Kings 21:27-29)

Food For Thought: No one deserved judgment more than King Ahab. He raised the bar on wickedness (I Kings 21:25). Among many other things, he followed the evil advice of his nefarious wife, Jezebel, he threw a tantrum over a piece of property he wanted and murdered to get it, and if that weren’t bad enough, he personally raised idolatry to an art form in Israel! Ahab was one bad dude!

Yet when Elijah pronounced judgment on him, he humbled himself to the point that God relented and withheld Ahab’s much deserved punishment. Now make no mistake, we should not take God’s patience with Ahab to mean that he winks at sin. As someone has said, “there is a payday, someday” for wickedness. And Ahab will get his!

But what is most interesting about this story is what it reveals about God. What a patient and merciful God we serve! And the same God who would delay much deserved judgment for evil Ahab in order to give him time to change his ways will also be patient and merciful with you and me—hallelujah—and also with a sinful world that God doesn’t want to perish. Now again, let’s not equate God’s longsuffering with tolerance for sin. There is a payday, someday—and we need to take that most seriously. This reality of a day of reckoning ought to be one of the things that prods us to a life of purity and motivates us to share the Good News with those who are bound for a Christless eternity.

And likewise, the fact that we have obtained a “redemptive pass” on Judgment Day through Christ’s substitutionary death ought to inspire us to greater gratitude to God for his grace and mercy. How fortunate are we that as much, if not more, than any other attribute of God, his longsuffering heart and willingness to forgive defines our relationship with him. Not only is he willing to put up with our waywardness, but amazingly, he actually goes out of his way to show us his love. Think about these words from Micah 7:18,

“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.”

Let me suggest that you reframe this Ahab story. Try reading yourself into Ahab’s character, because in truth, you and I are the ones to whom God has extended such amazing and undeserved grace. As you do that, it would then be approapriate to take some time today to offer heartfelt thanks to God for what he has done for you…and for what he has not done to you.

And by the way, don’t make Ahab’s mistake: He didn’t recognize that God’s patience and mercy was meant to transform his character. So offer God your heart, and allow him to remold it.

Prayer: Holy Father, you are a gracious and merciful God. You have extended your patience to me well beyond what I deserve. I deserve punishment, but you offer forgiveness. I don’t deserve heaven, but you’ve given me eternal life. How I thank you for who you are—a God of grace and mercy; how I praise you for what you’ve done—you’ve pardoned all of my sins and granted salvation. I stand in awe of you, and throughout time and all the way through eternity, I will proclaim your greatness to all creation. I owe you an un-payable debt of love, and as just a small token of what I will give to you for the rest of my existence, I offer you this prayer of praise and thanksgiving. It is in your gracious and merciful name I pray, amen!

Great Cloud of Witnesses: Martin Luther, speaking of God’s grace, said, “Although out of pure grace God does not impute our sins to us, He nonetheless did not want to do this until complete and ample satisfaction of His law and His righteousness had been made. Since this was impossible for us, God ordained for us, in our place, One who took upon Himself all the punishment we deserve. He fulfilled the law for us. He averted the judgment of God from us and appeased God’s wrath. Grace, therefore, costs us nothing, but is cost Another much to get it for us. Grace was purchased with an incalculable, infinite treasure, the Son of God Himself.”

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (I Kings 19:11-12)

Food For Thought: Elijah was depressed—and who could blame him. He’d just come off a spiritual high when fire had rained down from heaven and consumed Elijah’s sacrifice in his contest with the prophets of Baal. God had answered Elijah so dramatically that even wicked King Ahab was impressed, and it seemed, ready to repent and turn to God. All Israel was abuzz with the God of Elijah, and Elijah assumed that a spiritual awakening was about to sweep the wayward nation back to faith in Yahweh.

But Queen Jezebel put a damper on Elijah’s momentum. She threatened to kill him, and the guy who’d just called down fire from heaven, who just executed 850 false prophets, who’d single-handedly led the nation to the brink of revival, let one mean, nasty, notorious woman ruin his day. Word came to Elijah that the queen had ordered him killed, and now, the prophet’s faith gave way to fear.

Just a momentary sidebar here: Fear is the greatest enemy to your faith. You cannot be a fearful faithful person. The battle in your life will always boil down to fear and faith. Faith calls you to trust God for provision and protection; fear tempts you to look at your circumstances—which will always overwhelm you and call you to trust in your own ability to overcome them. Fear is one of Satan’s chief weapons to get your eyes off God and onto circumstances. That’s why the number one command in Scripture is to “fear not.” Someone has pointed out that there are 365 “Fear Not’s” in the Bible—one for every day of the year—and you’ll need each one to follow faith instead of fear!

Back to Elijah—this prophet of fire fled. He got depressed. He even contemplated ending his life—“I have had enough, Lord, take my life…” (I Kings 19:4). His perspective was so messed up and he was so disappointed with God that he sunk to an all-time low. But as the story progresses in I Kings 19, God does several things for Elijah that will pull him out of the pit and back onto his prophetic path.

First, God gave Elijah to physical renewal. He allowed him to rest—“then he lay down and slept…” (verse 5) Sometimes taking a nap is a very spiritual thing. You don’t always need revival, sometimes you simply need rest. And God allowed him to eat—”Get up and eat!” (verse 6) There are times when faith is not the issue, it’s food God. Perhaps our emotional depletion could be the result of the improper care of our physcial lives.

Second, God led Elijah to a quiet place where he allowed him to pour out his heart—“Elijah came to a cave…the Lord said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (verses 9-10) Now keep in mind, God knew why Elijah was there—so God is not in the dark as to why Elijah is physically standing there. Rather, what God is doing is giving Elijah the opportunity to get some things off his chest. This is God’s invitation for Elijah to pour out his heart. Likewise, we will find holy therapy whenever we pour our heart out to God openly and honestly.

And third, God focused Elijah back on the mission—“Go back…and anoint Hazael to be king of Aram…Jehu to be king of Israel…and Elisha to replace you as prophet…” (verses 15-16). Rather than allowing him to stew in his juices, God gave Elijah a new assignment—a purpose that would energize him for the next phase of his ministry. God wants Elijah, and by extension, you and me, to be mission-driven rather than emotion-driven.

What is God doing in this story with Elijah? He is graciously showing this faithful prophet who’d made the mistake of putting God in his little “prophet box” that he, the Sovereign Lord, is, has been, and always will be in control. He’s got a plan, and he is working it out, even if it isn’t according to Elijah’s expectations. He is the God who doesn’t answer by fire each time…as you’d expect. He doesn’t always make a grand entrance with an earthquake…the mountains don’t rattle and the wind doesn’t always rip the roof off when God acts. Sometimes the Almighty answers in a gentle whisper.

God is God, and he will not be confined to our expectations. That’s the bottom line to this story. God has a plan, and he’s sticking to it. We don’t always know all the details of that plan, and we don’t need to. All we need is to trust and obey…and God will take care of the rest. So take the lid off your box!

What are you fearing today? Where are you doubting God? How are your expectations forcing God into your little box? Reject fear and follow faith—and remember, faith makes things possible, not easy! Get your eyes off your circumstances and back onto God! Consider that God may have some creative alternatives to accomplish his plan through you, so let him blow your little spiritual box to smithereens! And don’t be surprised, God may call to you in a gentle whisper today!

Prayer: Dear Father, how many times have I been guilty of trying to force you into my little box? Forgive me, and give me a fresh dose of believing faith today. Blow my box to smithereens. Open my eyes to the unlimited possibilities in you. God, you can come to me in a spiritual earthquake or a gentle whisper—it doesn’t matter as long as you are there. So I open my heart to your creative ways and I renew my commitment to trust you and obey your perfect plan for my life. May your will be done, may your kingdom come this day. Amen.

One More Thing…

Fear is faith in Satan;
Faith is fearing God.
Ever see it that way?
Does seem rather odd.

Fear says, “God may fail me!”
Faith knows He keeps His word.
Hitherto the Lord hath helped us;
Doubting now would be absurd.

He careth for the sparrows;
Are you not more than these?
Why are you then so fearful?
Stay longer on your knees.

Dismiss your doubts and feeling,
Stand still, and see it through.
The God who fed Elijah
Will do the same for you!

—Author Unknown