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1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. — I Kings 19 1-3
Spiritual victories are awesome things glorifying God and His kingdom. When we have been a part of such a great victory, we must be on the lookout for an attack by the enemy.
Elijah had just experienced a victory over 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. He challenged their false gods in the name of the Lord, and the Lord answered with fire from heaven – a great and awesome display of His power! Elijah then executed the priests at the brook Kishon.
Elijah was on a high; God’s hand was on him and he was able to outrun Ahab to Jezreel even though Ahab was in a chariot. Then we get to the point of our scripture. Jezebel makes a threat on Elijah’s life and he turns tail and runs away. A man who had just seen God burn up solid stones with His holy fire ran away from Jezebel!
Often in our walk, when we experience a great victory, we forget the devil roams around like a roaring lion, seeking those he can devour. All it takes is one little thing to bring us crashing down from our spiritual high into the depths of a deep dark valley.
Our life is not the norm; people remind us of this all the time and expect us to fail because they want to pull us back into the world we know is in peril. In times like these we must remember: the God of the mountain is also the God of the valley. He is there with us in our defeat, ready to lift us up when we give our burdens to Him.
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Today in Christian History
June 5th
1860 – The Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augsburg Synod in North America was founded in Wisconsin. In 1962, the Augsburg Synod became one of four branches in American Lutheranism that merged to form the Lutheran Church in America (LCA).
1944 – German Lutheran theologian and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in a letter from prison: ‘Certainly one must try everything, but only to become more certain what God’s way is.’
1960 – John XXIII published his motu proprio, ‘Superno Dei Nutu,’ which created the necessary committees and organizational structure for the upcoming Vatican II Ecumenical Council (1962-65).
1961 – English apologist C.S. Lewis wrote in a letter: ‘Any fixing of the mind on old evils beyond what is absolutely necessary for repenting of our own sins and forgiving those of others is…usually bad for us.’
1967 – The Arab-Israeli Six-Day War began, during which Israel took control of the Sinai Desert, the city of Jerusalem and the west bank of the Jordan River. A cease-fire arranged by the U.N. ended the conflict on June 10th.
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Source for Today in Christian History: www.studylight.org
