DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Strong Character

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Strong Character
I Kings 21:1-3
 
"And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab, King of Samaria. So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, 'Give me your vineyard that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.' But
Naboth said to Ahab, 'The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my father to you.' "
 
I admire Naboth because he was a man of integrity, who would not be intimidated by the king's power, nor be enticed to sell the inheritance that had been passed down through the generations. The value of the field was worth more than money to Naboth because it represented his spiritual legacy. He could not be bought. It takes a person of strong character to stand in the face of this kind of pressure. I want that kind of internal strength to stand for what is right, regardless of the pressure to conform.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: A person of character will not bow to the pressures to compromise his spiritual legacy in order to appease another person, even an authority figure, nor to receive financial gain.
 
Have a "strong character" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Running After God

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Running After God
I Kings 19:20-21
 
"And [Elisha] left his oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, 'Please let me kiss my mother and father, and then I will follow you.' And [Elijah] said to him, 'Go back again, for what have I done to you?' So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh using the oxen's equipment, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and became his servant."
 
Following God's call to be His servant may mean a complete change of life-style. Elisha answered the call, and then burned all the bridges behind him. He bade his parents farewell, left his farm, killed his oxen and used their yokes for firewood. There was no Plan B to return to. Running after God calls for that kind of commitment. As the old song goes, "I have decided to follow Jesus – no turning back, no turning back."
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Running after God to become His servant requires a commitment that includes forsaking the old life.
 
Have a "running after God" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Passing By

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Passing By
I Kings 19:19
 
"So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. And Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him."
 
God chose a farmer to receive Elijah's mantle. He did not choose a Levite or other person whose occupation was religion. This sounds so very much like the men Jesus chose to be his disciples. He did not choose priests or Pharisees (religious professionals) or even his own brothers.   Rather, He found fishermen, a tax collector, a political revolutionary, and other non-religious men, and said, "Follow Me." How unlike kings whose sons inherit the throne, or sons of preachers who inherit the their father's ministry (ala Oral/Richard Roberts, Billy/Franklin Graham, Jimmy/Danny Swaggart, or Robert Schuller's family). This is not to denigrate their calling. God does indeed sometimes call sons to pick up the mantle of their father. But He also chooses farmers, doctors, or IT specialists for ministry because He sees the willing heart.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God does not call people to ministry based on their religious ancestry, but on their willing heart.
 
Have a "called" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Mentoring

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Mentoring
I Kings 19:15-16
 
"Then the LORD said to him: 'Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.' "
 
Not only were there other god-fearing people in the land, but God had chosen one – Elisha – to take Elijah's place. The ministry would continue. Sometimes spiritual leaders think that no one can take their place – that they are the only one who can speak for God. But none of us are irreplaceable. Elijah was nearing the end of his life, and he needed to mentor a younger man to continue his ministry. The point is that no one is indispensable. God's work will continue – with or without me -- but I can be involved in the ongoing process.

TODAY'S THOUGHT: The work of the Lord will continue because God is in control.
 
Have a "mentoring" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- We Are Not Alone

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – We Are Not Alone
I Kings 19:14, 18
 
"And he said, 'I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and they seek my life' " [Then the LORD said to him, ]" 'Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.' "
 
Elijah thought he was alone because he looked at his nation and did not see anyone else standing up for righteousness. He did not see the thousands who had kept themselves holy. Sometimes I look at the state of affairs in my nation and see how that all around me the masses of people – even in the church – have forsaken the true God, have forsaken His laws, torn down His altar, and have kissed the unholy. I am tempted to feel that I stand alone in my zeal for holiness. Where are those who serve Him in righteousness? But God has thousands who have not bowed their knee to Baal. I may not see them, but God knows who they are. I am not alone.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Even though it seems that there are very few people who are zealous for the Lord, there are still
thousands who love and serve Him in truth.
 
Have an encouraged day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- "What Are You Doing Here?"

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – "What Are You Doing Here?"
I Kings 9:8-9
 
"So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'  " 
 
Elijah isolates himself even further by walking 40 days into the wilderness to Horeb, also known as Mt. Sinai, which was located in the far south of the Negev. This was "the mount of God" where God had revealed Himself to Moses (Exodus 3:1ff; 4:27; 19:1ff). I think Elijah went there because he needed to reground himself in his faith. But God did not allow Elijah to live in the past, but, after asking the same question again, told him to "Go" (vs. 15).  Sometimes it is good to return to the roots of my faith – where God had been so real – to reground my spirit.  But I can't live in the past, because God has plans for the future. So He comes and says, "What are you doing here?" God will not let us wallow in our self-pity forever, but moves us on to tomorrow.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: When I am tempted to live in my yesterday, God says, "What are you doing here?", and moves me
into my tomorrow.
 
Have a "tomorrow" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Second Touch

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – The Second Touch
I Kings 19:5b-7
 
"Then suddenly an angel touched him, and said, 'Arise and eat.' Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel came back the second time, and touched him, and said, 'Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.' "
 
God did not abandon or chastise Elijah when he was in depression. Instead, He gently ministered to him to give him strength. He knew that the journey was too much for Elijah, and he needed to rejuvenate his body and spirit. In God's patience, He gave Elijah a second touch. After we resigned the pastorate at Jasper, I hit bottom. I remember clearly a Sunday night at the altar of the church in Springfield when I was crying out to God in my depression. I felt a touch on my shoulder. I thought it was someone praying for me. I looked around to see who it was and there was no one. I do believe it was Someone giving me that touch of assurance that He was there in my sad state. Oh, the compassion of our wonderful Lord.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: When life overwhelms us, when our strength is gone, when the journey seems too great, the Lord
touches again and again.
 
Have a "touched" day. Love you.