The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. (1 Kings 18:46)
Some people find pleasure in jogging, also while vacationing. It is a form of recreation.
Elijah was not a young man when he ran before King Ahab’s chariot from Mount Carmel to Jezreel. Since God had revealed Himself by answering with fire, Elijah believed that Ahab would institute a righteous, God-pleasing rule. So he wished to honor the king by running before his chariot as a footman.
Elijah could perform this physical feat because “the power of the Lord” was upon him, giving him superhuman strength.
Hebrews chapter 11 recalls the role of believers who by faith in God accomplished what is ordinarily beyond human capacity. They “through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised, … shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword, [their] weakness was turned to strength” (Hebrews 11:33,34).
The Christian’s faith is anchored in God, who so loved every person that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, for the salvation of all. Malcolm Boyd asks in the title of his prayer book: “Are You running With Me, Jesus?” The answer is yes. But we need to do more than jog. We can run with patience the race that is set before us.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, lay Your hand on us and give us the strength to run our course, keeping faith to the end. Amen.
(Taken from “Our Journey With Jesus” (out of print), copyright 1976, International Lutheran Laymen’s League.)
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 89, 92 Psalm 91 Philippians 3
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