1Ki 16:31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
This whole chapter tells of how each successive king did more evil than the one before. It seems almost like a contest. Ahab wins the prize for doing evil according these verses.
1Ki 17:17 ¶ And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.
22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.
24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.
(KJV)
The barrel of flour and cruse of oil never ran out as Elijah promised the widow. It was a miracle and yet she didn’t believe he was a man of God and that the word of the Lord in his mouth was truth until her son died and Elijah prayed and God revived him.
What does it take for me to believe God’s promises? God shows me in smaller ways every day that He keeps His promises and His word is truth, but do I doubt Him? Do I have to have a BIG Miracle in order to believe Him? Should I need any signs at all? Shouldn’t I just take Him at his word?
1Ki 18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
Here is a simple prayer that we can pray for our nation. God honored this prayer of Elijah when he prayed for a nation that had fallen into deep sin just like our nation has. Perhaps, if we pray, God will see fit to save us and our nation out of the sin we have committed in rejecting Him.
Lord,
You know the mess our nation is in. You know it is because we as a nation have been complacent and have rejected your commandments and You in our leadership. Oh, God, I ask forgiveness of my own sin of complacency and I ask that Your people would rise up as one and stand for what is right no matter the cost. Please, if it be your will, turn our nation around.
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