[Membersandfriends] Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Mon Sep 27 22:02:54 PDT 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Tuesday, September 28, 2004

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UNRECOGNIZED AND UNKNOWN
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1 Kings 18:1-16 (NRSV)

After many days the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year of the drought, saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab; I will send rain on the earth." So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria. Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah revered the LORD greatly; when Jezebel was killing off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets, hid them fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water.) Then Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals." So they divided the land between them to pass through it; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.

As Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him; Obadiah recognized him, fell on his face, and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?" He answered him, "It is I. Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here." And he said, "How have I sinned, that you would hand your servant over to Ahab, to kill me? As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom to which my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they would say, 'He is not here,' he would require an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you. But now you say, 'Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here.' As soon as I have gone from you, the spirit of the LORD will carry you I know not where; so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have revered the LORD from my youth. Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred of the LORD's prophets fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water? Yet now you say, 'Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here'; he will surely kill me." Elijah said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today." So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

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How are they to call on one in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?
-- Romans 10:14 (NRSV)
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BEING faithful to God is often not easy.  Ask Obadiah, governor in King Ahab and Queen Jezebel's palace.  Jezebel was putting followers of God to death and Obadiah believed in God.  Obadiah could have maintained quiet devotion and not risked life or property.  Instead, with godly wisdom and faithful dedication, Obadiah risked everything to care for 100 prophets.

We learn from the 1 Kings reading that God entrusted Obadiah with this position and role.  Since his youth Obadiah had worshipped God.  Those who taught Obadiah to honor and obey God made it possible for God to work through him in the midst of a corrupt society.  Their investment eventually showed its worth.

These little-known servants of God inspire me.  They seem closer to my situation and to me than more famous people; they challenge my excuses.  They are God's encouragers to me.  They motivate me to teach others to faithfully serve God, unrecognized and unknown.

Prayer:  God of our past and our future, thank you for good role models we discover in the Bible.  Teach us to follow their example and to model their abiding love for you.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Our faithfulness brings fellowship with God and the joy of service.

-- Raymond Neil Hawkins (Tasmania, Australia)

PRAYER FOCUS: Those who risk for their faith

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RELATED READING ...

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http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=12494

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.