Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States for Tuesday, 24 April 2018 - The Dark of Despair" by Mark Hendrickson - 1 Kings 17:17-24

Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - The Global Church of the Nazarene's Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States for Tuesday, 24 April 2018 - The Dark of Despair" by Mark Hendrickson - 1 Kings 17:17-24

"The Dark of Despair" by Mark Hendrickson - 1 Kings 17:17 A while later, the son of the woman whose house it was fell ill; his illness grew increasingly serious until his breathing stopped. 18 She said to Eliyahu, “What do you have against me, you man of God? Did you come to me just to remind me how sinful I am by killing my son?” 19 “Give me your son,” he said to her. Taking him from her lap, he carried him into the room upstairs where he was staying and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to Adonai: “Adonai my God! Have you brought also this misery on the widow I’m staying with by killing her son?” 21 He stretched himself out on the child three times and cried out to Adonai: “Adonai my God, please! Let this child’s soul come back into him!” 22 Adonai heard Eliyahu’s cry, the child’s soul came back into him, and he revived. 23 Eliyahu took the child, brought him down from the upstairs room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Eliyahu said, “See? Your son is alive.” 24 The woman replied to Eliyahu, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of Adonai that you speak is the truth.”(Complete Jewish Bible).
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Sometimes life is a roller coaster. Sometimes it seems like circumstances go from bad to worse, just when things were beginning to look up. In those moments of challenge and suffering, we are tempted to despair.
That is what happened to the widow in today’s passage. They had lived a hard life in the midst of a prolonged drought. Then things went from bad to worse when the widow’s son died. She was tempted to despair.
Despair is a terrible thing. It’s a place where we honestly do no think things will get any better; where we have lost all hope. The darkness of despair is a terrible place to live.
It’s also exactly the kind of place to which the Word of the Lord speaks life. For the widow, God’s Word came through the prophet and her son lived. For us, the Word comes through Jesus, who came, lived, and suffered just as we do. The Word brings light in the darkness, life in the face of death. On difficult days in the midst of difficult seasons, may we mourn in our suffering, but never despair. May the living Word bring resurrection life to you this day!
Hymn for Today: "Ye Servants of God" by Charles Wesley.

1. You servants of God, your Master proclaim, 

and publish abroad his wonderful name; 

the name all-victorious of Jesus extol; 

his kingdom is glorious and rules over all. 

2. God rules in the height, almighty to save; 

though hid from our sight, his presence we have; 

the great congregation his triumph shall sing, 

ascribing salvation to Jesus our King. 

3. "Salvation to God, who sits on the throne!" 

let all cry aloud, and honor the Son; 

the praises of Jesus the angels proclaim, 

fall down on their faces and worship the Lamb. 

4. Then let us adore and give him his right: 

all glory and power, all wisdom and might, 

all honor and blessing with angels above 

and thanks never ceasing for infinite love. 

Thought for Today: Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,

I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;

your rod and staff reassure me. (Psalm 23:4).

Please pray: That many young people in Asia-Pacific will be called into full-time Christian ministry.
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