Friday, July 30, 2021

1 Kings 21 Devotional Thoughts by Stephen Taylor

1 Kings 21:25-26

There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel, his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.

 

Ahab was the worst of the worst of the kings of Israel. He took every sin committed before him to a new level. He openly and blatantly opposed the Lord and His people. Then Elijah came to him with a word from the Lord foretelling the destruction of him and his family. And this is how merciful our God is only two verses after the one above:

 

1 Kings 21:28-29 - Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."

 

How merciful our God is! As I read this, the Holy Spirit said something like this: “If God is that merciful to one of the evilest men ever, how much more merciful is He to those who belong to His Son!!!” Talk about encouragement! The only thing I can see that Ahab ever gets right is he humbled himself before the Lord. And God is so merciful, He relents.

 

Now, Ahab still had punishments, and I’m not saying he is a good guy or that he went to Heaven, but what I am saying is that he humbled himself, and God noticed and gave him another chance! How much more will He give to those who accept and follow His Son? You are not too far gone. Your sins are not too numerous, and you’re not outside of the Father’s reach! For He reached all the way down through His Son for you and me!

 

Romans 8:3-4 - For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

 

God bless! I love you all! Glory, Honor, and Praise to Papa God, Jesus Christ our Savior, and the Holy Spirit who leads us daily! 

 

 

1 Kings 21:28-29

Then the Word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."

 

How merciful our God is!!! Ahab was one of, if not the most, wicked kings Israel had ever known, and The Lord still had mercy on him once he humbled himself! There were still consequences for his actions, but the Lord notices his humility and delays the disaster! If our God is that merciful on His enemies, how much more on those He calls His children!

 

We all start out as enemies of God, born into sin, doomed from birth, but because of the mercy and love of Jesus, we don’t have to stay there! But step one is to humble ourselves, and it’s not always the easiest thing, but so crucial. There is strength in humility, though. When you can admit your wrong (repent) and turn away from your sin and toward God, then the chains start to fall off. Humbling yourself is a bold statement to God, saying, “You're right and I’m wrong, You’re God Almighty, and I’m not. I can’t, but You can. Only You can save me!”

 

I like the phrase, “because he has humbled himself,” which implies that Ahab was gonna get humbled one way or another, but since he took it upon himself to do it, the Lord showed him mercy! This is probably the only thing that Ahab got right in his entire reign, but it’s a principle we can put into practice if/when we find ourselves in the same boat. Repentance is key, and the first step is humility! Humble yourselves today, so you can stand with Jesus forever!!!

 

James 4:6 - But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says, “God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble."

 

I love you all! God bless, and Glory, Honor and Praise forever to God Almighty, King Jesus, and my Confidant and Counselor the Holy Spirit!

 

 

 

 

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