What Do We Have In Common?

It seems that, for the time being, I'm going to be taking you through part of the book of 1 Kings.

Today, I was reading the beginning of Elijah's ministry in chapter 17. The first we hear of Elijah, he is telling King Ahab of Israel that there will be no rain in the land for years, unless Elijah prays to the Lord for it. Then he runs and hides. God told him to hide out at a wadi, or creek, and that the ravens had been commanded to feed him morning and evening. After the wadi dries up, Elijah is told to go Zarephath, a coastal city north of the tribes of Israel, yet well within reach of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, since that was her father's kingdom (1 Kings 16:31). God uses a widow woman there with a young son to provide for him by miraculously allowing her meager jars of oil and flour to never empty until the day it rains.

“After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness became very severe until no breath remained in him. She said to Elijah, 'Man of God, what do we have in common? Have you come to remind me of my guilt and to kill my son?'” 1 Kings 17:17-18

Truth be told, when bad things happen to us, isn't that how we feel with God at times? We want to ask, “What do we have in common? Why are You here with me? Have You come to remind me of the things I've done wrong and punish me more?” Sometimes we are so distraught that we need others to intercede on our behalf before God, as Elijah does for the widow. He pleads to the Lord to restore her son to her. Verse 22 says that “...the Lord listened to Elijah's voice, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived.”

Are you trying to think of some people you lean on in those tough times? I pray that you do have some individuals you are that close to. While it does help, and is greatly appreciated, don't despair if you can't think of anyone. When you become a child of God's, you are given the gift of intercession from two different, very good, sources. Romans 8:26 says, “In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.” A few verses later in Romans 8:33-34, Paul, the writer of Romans asks the rhetorical questions, “Who can bring an accusation against God's elect? God is the One who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.”

The Spirit pleads for us, and Jesus stands up for us.

Why then do we have to endure some of these seemingly pointless trails? The widow answers that question for us when Elijah hands her back her now living son. “Now I know you are a man of God and the Lord's word in your mouth is truth.”

Now I know: For certain.

Sometimes I believe God is allowing us to know – for certain – He IS God. Other times He might want us to know He has put a certain leader, teacher, or mentor in our lives to tell us the hard, loving truth. Whatever the circumstance, we can know, for certain, that if we have the strength to allow it, God can be glorified through it.