QUENCH THAT FIERY DART!
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. I Kings 19:1-3(NIV)
Elijah was one of the most powerful prophets in Old Testament times. He stood and confronted Ahab, the king of Israel and his evil wife, Jezebel. Elijah pronounced a famine over the land and it did not rain for 3 years. He single-handedly confronted 850 false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Then he called on God to answer him by fire. Miraculously, fire fell from heaven. Elijah arrested all the false prophets and personally supervised their execution. All of Israel rejoiced. There was revival in the land. One man had turned the whole nation back to God overnight.
When Jezebel, the witch, heard of all the things Elijah had done, she was furious and sent him a message; “You have killed my prophets, wait and see what I will do to you within the next 24 hours. May my own gods destroy me if I don’t personally bury you“. Her message was like a ballistic missile aimed at Elijah. He had a 24-hour death sentence from the queen witch.
Elijah’s response to Jezebel however was strangely out of character. The man who had called down fire, held back the rain and brought it down again, the man who had boldly confronted the wicked king Ahab, and had single-handedly eliminated all the false prophets, now reacted in fear. Though Elijah’s words were backed with power from God, he panicked. Jezebel’s message was like a flaming arrow from hell. It struck a mortal blow. Elijah became afraid for his life. God’s warrior fled in terror from Jezebel, sat under a tree, depressed and suicidal. And that was where God met him.
LESSONS FROM ELIJAH
- No one is immune from the attacks of the enemy. Elijah was under an attack. The demonic arrow penetrated a chink in his armour. Elijah had dealt a major blow to the kingdom of darkness and they retaliated. Past success does not mean the future is guaranteed. We always have to be on guard from the arrows of the enemy.
- In his weariness, Elijah allowed fear to break through to him. Fear is one of the greatest weapons of the enemy. For Elijah, it was fear of death. For others, it may be the fear of the future, of war, of violence or of poverty. Some are afraid they won’t ever marry. Elijah allowed his fear and discouragement to get the better of him. Exhausted and frustrated, he slipped into disillusionment.
DECISION
Never allow fear, doubt or unbelief to dictate your responses. If you do, you will lose your confidence, and like Elijah find yourself retreating and running from Jezebel and her witchcraft, instead of sustaining your victories in Christ.
PRAYER
Give me strength to hold up my shield of faith and stop every attack of the enemy. Let Your presence become an impenetrable wall of defense around me. Empower me to stand against every assault of the enemy and quench every flaming arrow shot in my direction.
SONG
♬Victor’s Crown by Darlene Zschech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g84C902JFYM&pbjreload=10
FURTHER STUDY
2Tim.1:7 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Tim.1%3A7&version=NKJV
1John5:4 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+5%3A4&version=NIV
Eph. 6:16 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6%3A16&version=NKJV
