TO CHEW ON: "After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 'Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.' So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab." 1 Kings 18:1,2
Obadiah had a tough job and an evil boss. His job was to be in charge of the palace in Samaria, where Ahab and Jezebel ruled. What made this especially hard was the fact that Obadiah loved and obeyed God. His boss, Ahab, didn’t.
Because Obadiah loved God, he did a dangerous thing. When Queen Jezebel was killing all the prophets of God, he sneaked one hundred of them away and hid them so they were safe.
The last while had been hard for King Ahab. Three years passed from when Elijah came to him and said there would be no rain. By now the land was completely scorched, the grass yellow, the plants brown and shriveled. This day Ahab sent Obadiah out to look for any patches of grass left where animals could graze.
As he walked along the road who should he meet but Elijah! Obadiah recognized him, bowed down and said “Is it really you?”
“Yes,” Elijah replied. For it happened that at that very same time, God had said to Elijah, “Now it’s time to go back to Ahab. I will send rain.”
“Go tell Ahab that I’m here,” Elijah said to Obadiah.
“You’d better not disappear again!” Obadiah said. “If I tell Ahab you’re here, and you disappear again, I’m dead!”
“Don’t worry,” Elijah told Obadiah. “I’m not going anywhere. God has told me to come before Ahab now, and I will.”
Obadiah and Elijah had very different jobs. But both of them loved the same God. When God asked them to do something, their answer was “Yes Lord!” even if it put them in danger. As a result, God could use them in important ways.
PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to willingly and quickly do whatever You ask me to do. Amen.
SUPERSIZE IT: “Yes” People
One of the ways God does what He has planned to do on earth is through people who say ‘Yes’ to what He asks. Obadiah and Elijah were people like that. There were many other Bible characters who acted in the same way. Match the person, below, with the thing God asked them to do.
1. Mary (Luke 1:31,38) _____
2. Samuel (1 Samuel 3:10) _____
3. Noah (Genesis 6:14) _____
4. Moses (Exodus 3:10) _____
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A. Listen to God’s message for Eli the priest.
B. Build a big boat (ark) on dry ground.
C. Become the mother of Jesus.
D. Lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
Each of these people answered “Yes” to what God asked. They became important characters in God’s story.
Do you want to be a player in God’s story? Decide today that you will answer “yes” to anything and everything God asks you to do.
Answers
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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