1Kings 17:1-4, And Elijah the Tishbite, of the
inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I
stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.' 2 Then the word of
the LORD came to him, saying, 3 'Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the
Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4 And it will be that you shall drink from the
brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.'
Elijah was an amazing man. He was absolutely single-minded. He
lived for God alone. Even his name means, "the Lord is God".
Elijah lived during an evil time. Ahab ruled over Israel together
with his wicked wife Jezebel who served Baal and tried to eradicate God's prophets. Yet
God used Obadiah to save one hundred of the Lord's prophets. Another 7000 of the children
of Israel also did not bow the knee to Baal. They followed God in secret. But Elijah stood
publicly for the Lord.
We read in James 5:16 - 18, "Confess your trespasses to one
another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer
of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed
earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six
months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its
fruit."
God's Word was firmly grounded in the life of Elijah, even though
he had the same weaknesses as we have. He walked in the footsteps of His Lord and his life
was a clear testimony to that fact. So too God's Word must be grounded in us so that it
will be clear to everyone that we are walking in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ.