The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "God's Surprises" for Thursday, 9 June 2016 with Scripture 1 Kings 19:1 Ach’av told Izevel everything Eliyahu had done and how he had put all the prophets to the sword. 2 Then Izevel sent a messenger to say to Eliyahu, “May the gods do terrible things to me and worse ones besides if by this time tomorrow I haven’t taken your life, just as you took theirs!” 3 On seeing that, he got up and fled for his life.When he arrived in Be’er-Sheva, in Y’hudah, he left his servant there; 4 but he himself went a day farther into the desert, until he came to a broom tree. He sat down under it and prayed for his own death. “Enough!” he said. “Now, Adonai, take my life. I’m no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and went to sleep. Suddenly, an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on the hot stones and a jug of water. He ate and drank, then lay down again. 7 The angel came again, a second time, touched him and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” 8 He got up, ate and drank, and, on the strength of that meal, traveled forty days and nights until he reached Horev the mountain of God.
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. Then the word of Adonai came to him; he said to him, “What are you doing here, Eliyahu?” 10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for Adonai the God of armies, because the people of Isra’el have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I’m the only one left, and they’re coming after me to kill me too.” 11 He said, “Go outside, and stand on the mountain before Adonai”; and right then and there, Adonai went past. A mighty blast of wind tore the mountains apart and broke the rocks in pieces before Adonai, but Adonai was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but Adonai was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake, fire broke out; but Adonai was not in the fire. And after the fire came a quiet, subdued voice. 13 When Eliyahu heard it, he covered his face with his cloak, stepped out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Eliyahu?”
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We read in the story from 1 Kings 19 that even the great prophet Elijah experienced fear and discouragement. God dealt with him kindly and gently, surprising him with an angel and a still small voice.
At times in my life, I have been surprised by the warmth and peace of God’s Holy Spirit, filling me and reassuring me that God is with me and God is all I need. When I am surprised by the laughter of kookaburras visiting my garden, I remember that “the joy of the LORD is [my] strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). The beauty of the stars in the sky on a clear, dark night surprises me with the knowledge of God’s creativity and magnitude. The unexpected gift of a meal from my church family surprises me with the reminder that God knows my every need. The ways God cares for me never cease to surprise and encourage me. I want to share this joy and encouragement with others.
The surprises of our loving Creator never end. How amazing to realize that God prepares for us surprises that are what we need when we need them!
Read more from the author, here."More from Ann Stewart"
This painting is called "The Hint of a Promise." Rainbows are a wonderful reminder of God’s faithful promises to us, his children, and you can see the hint of a rainbow in the sky of this picture. God's promises are an encouragement during difficult times and words to cling to when everything else in our world seems unstable and rocky. They offer hope for the future and strength for each day. In Psalm 91:4 (NLT) it says, "His faithful promises are your armour and protection." As I read God’s word I sometimes find a promise that is meant for me and my specific situation. I like to underline these verses and write the date next to them as a reminder, and it’s wonderful to go back and see how and when God has fulfilled these promises.The Bible is full of promises. I find it helpful to memorize promises from scripture so that I can meditate on them and keep them in my mind. I also like to speak them out loud at times as I believe that there is power in the spoken word. I have seasons when I forget these disciplines and get too busy to make the time; however, I’m grateful for the way the Holy Spirit brings circumstances that draw me back to the source of my hope, peace, and joy.
Recently I was feeling anxious and discouraged about a variety of issues, and God blessed me with one of the surprises that I talked about in my meditation. It was a rainy day and as I was getting my breakfast and praying I received a text from a friend saying that she knew that God had some visual image that would be especially for me. A short time later I looked out at the river in front of my house and saw a beautiful rainbow right there.
It was as if God was reminding me to trust in him and his goodness. All throughout that day that rainbow was there! It sometimes faded but then reappeared looking brighter than ever. How amazing and awesome is our Loving God! The issues that I was struggling with hadn’t changed but I felt God’s protection and armor surrounding me. I knew that I needed to be calm and trust God (Exodus 14:14). That ongoing rainbow was God’s surprise blessing to me that day and a powerful memory to bring to mind in the future to remind me of what a faithful God I serve.You are a beloved child of God and you are precious. You are the "apple of God's eye," who has wonderful blessings and surprises for each of you. May God open your eyes to see them and may you be encouraged.[Ann Stewart]
The Author: Ann Stewart (South Australia, Australia)
Thought for the Day: God’s surprises never end.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for tenderly caring for us. Open our hearts to the surprises with which you bless us. Amen.
Prayer focus: SOMEONE WHO IS DISCOURAGED
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