KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus
Through Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday,
April 13, 2016
Chapters: 1
Kings 16-18
Message: 1 Kings: God
Will Provide

Hello My Friend,

The
media has a great way of hiding the truth about things, for instance,
they taunt on how great the economy is, yet more people are on
government assistance and or sharing households than there ever was.
If there is one thing I have learned over the years as a Christian it
is that God loves His people, He always provides for them, even in a
famine if we keep our eyes on Him, He will always provide. “And
seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye
of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world
seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these
things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things
shall be added unto you.” - Luke 12:29-31.

Prosperity
and provisions in our nations begins with God, if we honor and make
Him King over our nation we will prosper, but remove Him, and
judgment will come. As much as the government likes to make us think
that they are trying to take care of and sustain us, the truth is,
they are only taking care of themselves. Corrupt politicians have
crept into our governments and instead of helping us they are
controlling us, telling us what to eat, what to think, who gets to
live, and even who to worship. This is not something new, the
Northern Kingdom of Israel went through king after king, each one
more corrupt than the last. This time, we learn of Ahab, the most
corrupt king of the north, and his biggest influence was his wife,
Jezebel, who made all of the Northern Kingdom serve Baal.

“And
in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son
of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over
Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did
evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. And it
came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the
sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the
daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal,
and worshipped him. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house
of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a grove; and
Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the
kings of Israel that were before him. In his days did Hiel the
Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his
firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub,
according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son
of Nun.” - 1 Kings 16:29-34.

“as
if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam”
As much as we think that things cannot get any worse, think again.
You know, so many people fail to realize that the United States was
founded because people got tired of the government controlling their
religion, they wanted to worship God their way, according to His
word. So many people lost their lives trying to make this a free, God
fearing country, yet we are losing our freedom everyday because we
are allowing corrupt politicians dictate our lives. And in case you
had not noticed, the fasted growing religion in our country today is
Islam, and not only in the US, but all over the world. The prophesies
are coming to pass, judgment is coming to every nation, and it is
only the beginning. “And when ye shall
hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things
must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be
earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and
troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.” - Mark
13:7,8.

The more the government keeps messing with God’s
people and getting them to commit sin the more we will suffer as a
nation. However, God will provide for His faithful people, even among
the unfaithful. Elijah was a prophet sent by God to tell Ahab of a
great famine that was about to happen for not only bringing Baal
worship into the kingdom, but enforcing it on the people. When Elijah
confronted Ahab he was not too happy, he blamed Elijah for the
drought, and anyone caught speaking of would be executed. God sent
Elijah to a place where he could be safe, God provided him with the
provisions he needed, but He did not stop with Elijah, he cared for
all who were faithful to Him, including a widow that He sent Elijah
to for provisions himself.

“Get
thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook
Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt
drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee
there. So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he
went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the
ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and
flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. And it came to pass
after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no
rain in the land. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell
there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.”
- 1 Kings 17:3-9.

“So he went and
did according unto the word of the LORD:” We do not need a
Bible for God to tell us what we need to do, we have the living Bible
inside of us. The Holy Spirit is our guide, and while some of the
things He leads us to (nothing that goes against Scripture) may seem
strange and a waste of time, there is a purpose for them. God was not
only going to show Elijah, but this woman and her son that He will
always provide, no matter what the circumstance. If you stop to think
about it, and if you observed those who are faithful to God you will
see that we all have seasons of famine and of plenty. I imagine if it
was plenteous all the time we would not rely on God so much, which is
why He brings famines. No matter how long the famine lasts, it is
important to be faithful to God as He has much more to give us here
and in our new life to come when Jesus comes to get us. “Labour
not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth
unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for
him hath God the Father sealed.” - John 6:27.

I
am not against the government, when it works according to our
constitutional rights than it is great, and we all prosper. However,
our nations are declining rapidly, and they will continue to do so
until we get some godly people in our government. God was going to
keep pressing Israel until they saw that their worship of Baal was
wrong. Now, with the famine hitting hard, Ahab went searching for
food, he sends his governor Obadiah to search the other side and runs
into Elijah. Obadiah feared for his life, he knew that if he went to
Ahab and told him that Elijah was in town that he would face
execution for even talking to him. However, he faced his fears and
Elijah promised him that everything would be fine. The reason why
Elijah wanted to meet with Ahab was to challenge him.

“And
as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him,
and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah? And he
answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. And he
said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into
the hand of Ahab, to slay me? As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no
nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and
when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and
nation, that they found thee not. And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy
lord, Behold, Elijah is here. And it shall come to pass, as soon as I
am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee
whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot
find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my
youth. Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the
prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD'S prophets
by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?” - 1
Kings 18:7-13.

“but I thy servant fear the LORD from my
youth.” I caught myself this morning reminding God of all the
things I do to serve Him and asking Him to give me more work so I can
take care of my mom. You know, at one time I use to think it was
wrong to remind God of my faithfulness to Him, but as I begin to
study His word I realized every one of His faithful do the same
thing. God does not need us to remind Him of anything because He
knows what we do, but He likes us to mention them as it is a reminder
to us. Much of the suffering we go through as a nation has nothing to
do with what we have done, we can thank our government for most of
them, but they are reminders that while we are sinners saved by
grace, we really can be faithful to God through the worse famines.


“But and if ye suffer for
righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror,
neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be
ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason
of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good
conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers,
they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in
Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer
for well doing, than for evil doing.” - 1 Peter
3:14-17.

Jesus Christ Revealed:
Today Jesus is revealed through Elijah, whom God used to provide
flour and oil for the needy widow at Zarephath (17:13-16). Christ our
sustainer of life, provides not only the things we need to sustain
our physical body, but our soul as well. “But
my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by
Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:19.

Today's
Prayer: God, You promise to provide us with all Your
riches according to our needs, you may provide us with our wants from
time to time, but You always provide us with the things we need. This
world is so corrupt that it loves to convince us that if we turn to
them they will provide us with our needs and wants, but what they
want is to turn us away from You. Lord, give us Your power,
protection, and peace as we endure the famines that come with Your
judgments. Keep us safe, hide us in Your bosom, and put Your hedge of
protection around us. Let us never forget that You will always supply
us with what we need, and that things will be plentiful one day. I
ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am
praying for you,
Christina

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