Encounter With Evil!

Encounter with evil:

1 King 18:2”So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.”

Deuteronomy 28:1 “"And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.”(Memorize)

Boy! The above scripture has thunder and lightning bottled up! What I mean is – it is power-packed! Do you hear me? What are you afraid of? Do you feel insignificant and incompetent compared to the giants operating around you? Fear not! The God of Elijah is with you!

Prophet Elijah went to show himself to the brutal and wicked king Ahab! I title this message as ‘encounter with (D)evil’! You need not fear the devil when you have the King with you! Are you listening? You can meet the devil and the evil forces at any time when you have a tight communion with the Lord at all times. King Ahab was furiously angry with Elijah for being the cause for the severe famine in Samaria, had he spotted Elijah, he would have severed his head. The severe famine, the danger involved did not deter Elijah’s determination to meet the king because he was obeying the commands of God. When things are done in God’s timing, in God’s way and with God – victory is guaranteed! Elijah looked at Obadiah and said: "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today." Procrastinators cannot achieve much for God! Bible Study, meditation, worship, prayer, fasting, accountability and obedience are disciplines that produce harvest of blessings in our lives without which you are empty balloons. I am talking to someone out there!

When God speaks obey immediately! The Bible promises great rewards for those who hear His Word and obey immediately: Deuteronomy 28:1"And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.” Much of the suffering we see today is because people have disobeyed God miserably and went their own way! Are you listening? The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” (Isaiah 29:13)

People are deceived into thinking: “I just lie sometimes when it is necessary, I just drink only on Easter and Christmas (imagine!) I am not a saint, I do sin, Beauty is to admired so I do look at women, what is wrong if I drink once a week, I cannot afford to buy soft wares which are expensive so I use pirated soft wares; however, everybody uses it anyway, I am forced to bribe because the matter was urgent….” There is no right way to do the wrong thing, all the above deeds would be judged by God and punished! Beware!

Elijah did not have to fear the wicked, unrighteous king because he was confident of his intimacy with God and the protection thereby promised to him. Anybody listening? Whether they give you the job or not – don’t fear! You would be fed by God! Hallelujah!

At a time of severe famine, when he was boarding with a widow who was supplying him with ‘bread and oil’, (no other delicacies –sufficient for the body) Elijah dared to meet the king! Our comforts are forgotten as we diligently follow the path of the Lord!