Character Profile: Elijah's Courage, Part 1
And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.'-1 Kings 17:1 (NKJV)
While we're on the topic of courage, it's worthwhile to take a close look at one of the most courageous people in Scripture-the prophet Elijah. He stormed onto the scene with righteous zeal, walked up to wicked King Ahab, and told him straight to his face, 'By the will of God, no rain for you or anyone else in Israel until I say so!'
Wow! That's courage. Even though Elijah knew that Ahab could have killed him right there on the spot, he was undeterred from delivering God's message. The prophet was the perfect portrait of the proverb that tells us that the wicked will flee but the righteous are as bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1). How did he do it?
I find it fascinating that 1 Kings 17:1 is the very first mention we have of Elijah in the Bible, which means he doesn't have a reputation prior to his bold proclamation-he was a nobody. I believe that we, as Christians, often lack boldness when the time comes to open our mouths because we don't want to be known as 'the one who's always quoting the Bible' or 'the person who always wants to talk about God.' It's as if we're so paranoid of losing our reputation that we're willing to have a hard heart toward the leading of God's Spirit, all because we want to be somebody.
Elijah didn't have a reputation to protect, and we shouldn't feel the pressure to protect ours when the occasion calls for a little courage. We need to be bold enough to open our mouths when it's time to say something on God's behalf. Only then will we have the kind of reputation that's worth having.
DIG - Why wasn't Elijah concerned about protecting his reputation as he confronted Ahab?
DISCOVER - What would you like for your reputation to be? Does your answer involve a desire to impress other people?
DISPLAY - Ask God to do what it takes to build a reputation in you that He would be proud of.
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At the age of 24, Bob Coy left a coveted position in the music industry to serve as an associate pastor with Calvary Chapel of Las Vegas. In 1985, Bob and his wife, Diane, moved to Fort Lauderdale and began Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale. As senior pastor, he has become well known for his unique style in expounding the Scriptures, making them come alive and relate to those of us living in the 21st century. His teaching style emphasizes the believer's "life application" of the highest standards of God's truth while his delivery captures the loving heart of God's Spirit.
Pastor Bob has had the rare privilege of watching God's miraculous hand move in the individual lives of those in the fellowship as well as the corporate body as a whole. From the first meeting in a living room with four in attendance, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale has now become home to over 17,000 men and women from the tri-county area, and ranks as the eighth largest church in the country. Though many have tried to attribute its rapid growth to numerous reasons, no one is more surprised by the phenomenon than Pastor Bob, who gives total credit and all the glory to God alone.
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