Romans 11:4
“What does the divine response say to him?”
Paul is referring to one of the most difficult times in the life of the prophet Elijah. He lived during a time when the nation of Israel had turned from the Lord and had become steeped in idolatry. As the people stood in the valley of decision, swaying between a decision to follow Jehovah or become more like the world around them, Elijah stood boldly for the Lord and saw the beginnings of a national revival. This did not come without a price. Jezebel, the queen who was openly opposed to the ways of God, began a campaign to see Elijah killed. These were not idle threats, for she had been responsible for the death of many of the prophets of God. Elijah saw no other course of action except to flee. He ran from Mount Carmel in the north of Israel, all the way to the wilderness where Moses had received the Law of God. There, in a place of solitude, he began to cry out to God. “I alone am left of the prophets of God and they seek to take my life.” He truly believed that his life was over and there was no escape from certain death. His fears led his heart to speak, but in the midst of his trial, he heard another voice saying,
“I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Paul referred to this as “the divine response.” In the midst of trial, as his fear caused his heart to speak, God had another message designed to comfort, strengthen and produce hope within his servant, Elijah. He was not alone in this. There is always a divine response whenever our hearts speak to us, and this response is always found in the pages of God’s Word. Peter referred to “His great and precious promises.” (2Peter 1:4) It is critical in our times of trial, we learn to listen to the voice of God which cries out against the voice of fear, depression, temptation, anxiety, worthlessness or any of our other emotions. It has become very common today, when we are faced with indecision, to be encouraged to “follow your heart.” The problem is, our hearts often speak contrary the promises of God. Whenever our hearts cry out, we must look into the Word of God to find divine response.
What is you heart saying to you today? Is fear, doubt or discouragement, causing you to question the ways of God? Take some time to look into His precious promises and allow the Divine Response to give direction to your wayward thoughts.
Pastor Jim
Ezra and his company were traveling hundreds of miles without a military escort and carrying the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold, silver and bronze. Had word got out of their precious cargo, they would no doubt be the target of thieves, and their lives would be at risk. Caravans have been attacked and lives taken for far less than they were carrying. In their desperation, Ezra made a calculated decision not to ask the king for protection, but to gather the people, proclaim a fast and seek the Lord. In the end, they not only made it safely to their destination, but they were able to see God accomplish the miraculous. This story reminds me of a statement made by Gideon when he was hiding in a cave from the Midianotes. He said,
Webster’s dictionary defines an adjective as, “a modifier of a noun to denote the quality of the thing named… or to specify a thing as distinct from something else.” I wonder what adjectives would be used in a biography of my life. Would I be described as tall or short, grumpy or friendly, rich or poor? It fascinates me that when Ezra’s life was all summed up, he was described as a priest, a scribe, and an expert in the Word of the Lord.
Not long after returning to Jerusalem, the people became greatly discouraged in the work of the Lord. Things were moving slowly, and they were facing a great deal of opposition from those around them. Soon, the work of the Lord ceased all together. It is worth noting what encouraged the people to resume the work, and finish the task to which God called them. We read simply, “the prophets of God were with them, helping them.” The help was provided in the form of exhortations to the people to continue in the work of God.
We have all had experiences that have saddened us. Sometimes the word ‘sad’ is too shallow to describe what we are feeling, we might say we are sorrowful or even consumed with grief. When a relationship comes to an end or someone we love dies, the sadness is often so deep it becomes difficult to manage.
Central to returning to the Lord, was the Altar. With it, sacrifices could be offered in accordance with the Law of God. Without it, man would still be striving on his own, attempting to build his way to God. The altar, tragically, involved the sacrifice of the innocent in place of the guilty. This method of atonement was offensive to some; not because of the death of the innocent, but because of the declaration that those offering the sacrifice are guilty.
The bible is filled with great and precious promises. Of these, the one recorded here may be the pinnacle. For the past two thousand years countless saints, facing a vast array of difficulties, have clung to this promise and found God to be ever faithful to His word. The promise itself is both simple and all encompassing. We are told, God is able to create good out of all things that life throws at us.
As we read through the Word, it is important to remember the chapter breaks were added later to make it easier to find specific passages. At times, they can create a break in thought not intended by the author. This often causes us to miss something vital in the text. The thoughts of Romans 8 are an obvious conclusion of what Paul declared in Chapter 7. He referred to himself as carnal, a word meaning worldly; and wretched, meaning deeply afflicted, or extremely bad. The reason for his dire view is that he found himself incapable of living a proper Christian life. The Word of God clearly expresses the kind of life which pleases God, and the particular behaviors, thoughts, desires and actions that are regarded as sinful. By his own admission, Paul knew what was right, but lacked the power to accomplish these things. He writes,
