Arise and Abide Curtis Perea

Reading 1 Kings 18:1-15. The drought had been going on for three years and times had gotten desperate. King Ahab and Obadiah searching the land for the kings’ animals to have water.  This is the turning point. These two servants of the Lord who are in this hard situation and responding very differently. Obadiah who did something amazing for the Lord. He risked his own life, his own position in charge of the palace. He risks it all to save 100 prophets. In that act of service, he positions himself to live in fear, fear of someone finding out, fear that he's going to lose his own life. Elijah had every good reason to be afraid for his life, going and appearing before King Ahab. It’s a good picture of finding yourself living in fear because you have this feeling that you're kind of just hanging on and something's going to snap and then it'll all fall down. When we feel attacked by the enemy who wants us to live in fear, we forget, that’s why God is always reminding us and why we need established rhythms for redirecting ourselves back to God. Let God’s character define your circumstance and not the other way around. The price is that you're going to go through it, but there's options here, there's two paths you can take as you go through it. God is our resource. He is the bread of life. He's all that we need. God moves at the right time.  

Reading Psalms 86, a psalm of David. In verse 11, “Teach me your ways. Oh Lord, that I may live according to your truth, grant me purity of heart so that I may honor you.” David is looking to God for discipleship. In verse 15, he's speaking to God's character. “Oh Lord, you are a God of compassion and mercy, slowly get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” Exodus 34:5-7. David wanted the closeness with God Moses had. This psalm is just such a great reminder of that character of God love just wanting to be there to help us just like those of us who are parents, we want to be there to help our Children. We're always ready to forgive them. And the Psalm is such a beautiful picture of God's character. Put in the time and the effort and seek the Lord with all your heart it's part of the discipline of learning to trust the Lord. It goes back to the beginning of the psalm where David is saying, help me because I need your help, protect me because I'm devoted to you. I serve you and I trust you. I'm calling on you constantly. And that's the position that we need to be in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in. He will answer this prayer of your heart. If you to ask God to teach you His ways that you can live according to His truth, that He will grant you purity of heart so that you will honor Him. God will do this in your life. It is a promise straight from God that describes himself and his character as slow to anger filled with unfailing love and faithfulness and he wants to lavish his love on 1000 generations.

Reading 1 Kings 17 in the New Living Translation. Elijah declares that as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel lives the God. I serve, there will be no do or reign during the next few years until I give the word. Ahab had married Jezebel and they had started serving Baal who was a god who was supposed to bring the rain. God is faithful, God grows our faith and uses that growth in our life to increase the faith of others. Elijah, through his experiences, is telling her that God is a God that can be trusted and that she doesn't need to be afraid. She felt her sin was leaving her unworthy of the sustaining of life that God was giving her. God's presence does convict, and it does call for a change in our heart and we see this change in the woman's faith and her belief through the struggles and the trials that she's going through. Elijah understood his identity and his purpose. He was available to God and had his ear turned towards God. It's ok that we ask God and admit to God that our circumstances don't make sense to us and that we need his help. James 5:13. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah’s example, the length of time and trials that he continued to pray through and the wonderful results that he saw. It's relying on God through difficult times that helps us persevere through the trials, and it's through the trials that God grows our faith. God is with you as you go through the hard times.

Reading Psalms 85 in the New Living Translation. Start your day as the psalmist begins this psalm, with praise and worship. Being intentional with our thoughts and placing them before Jesus. To follow Jesus, we must stop talking, and listen. Verse 13, Righteousness goes as a Herald before him preparing the way for his steps. When we are in right relationship with God, He can more effectively use us for His plan. God is both loving, but He always is speaking truth. Through Jesus we have this opportunity to be in right relationship with God because we do have this need for a savior to be restored. The cost of being a disciple is to submit our lives to the life and teaching of Jesus to walk life out in his footsteps. John 14:25 lines up well with Psalms 85:8. God is good. He sent the advocate to guide us, to lead us in what he would have us to do to love him and love others. To not just listen, but also follow. You can trust God that God is with you. You can trust God, that God is for you. You can trust God to His word as it says in verse 12 of Psalm 85. “Yes, the Lord pours down his blessings. Our land will yield its beautiful harvest. Righteousness goes as a herald before him preparing the way for His steps.”

Reading 1 Kings 15:32-16:34. God gave people free will in the garden and humanity has continued to choose their own way. As people continue in this pattern we move farther and farther away for the righteous standards of God. Omri did more evil than any king before him, until his son Ahab becomes king and outdoes his father’s sins. I see this picture that God is the one who places the king in their position. But it's followed by this story of the kings just trying to fight and take over the throne on their own power. And when they do that, it never turns out well for them. The mentality of ‘I'm going to make myself king’ isn't really that uncommon, considering all the people who want to make themselves kings of their own lives. Luke 14:35. We must give up everything to God. God was angry because the leaders were leading Israel to sin by building these calves like Jeroboam. We see with Ahab that he marries Jezebel and sets up places of worship to Baal. It was reminding me of when Jesus talked about leaders in Matthew chapter 18, verse six, he says, “if anyone causes one of these little ones, those who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large mill stone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”God is true to his word even when we don't see it fulfilled in our own lifetime.

Reading Psalms 84. Recognizing God’s goodness in life. It is in the presence of God that we experience the good life. We enter through repentance. Change perspective in the hard times back to the goodness of God. The picture of someone who wants to draw near to the LORD. The imagery of provision and protection. God’s heart is for people, and for people to experience the fullness of God’s goodness. All relationships require building trust. Jesus teaches us not to worry and instead trust God’s provision in the sermon on the mount. In Revelation 21:3 we see the promise of God dwelling with His people and now, while we wait for Jesus’ return, we get to experience being the dwelling place of God as His Holy Spirit dwells in us. Life is a trust building journey the Lord is carrying us through. Ephesians 2:19-22, we are God’s dwelling place together joined in the body of Christ.