Saturday, November 4

Game On

Narrative Lectionary Daily Devotions written by Kace Leetch from Clergy Stuff.

Elijah and Ahab were enemies. Ahab thought he was superior to the flailing prophet, wanting to kill him for continuing to proclaim the word of God. Elijah knew God was the one true God and was patiently waiting for God to show power and defeat Ahab and Jezebel, who had taken over the kingdom and swayed the people against God. Elijah had proclaimed God would regain power once the drought was over; as long as the land remained in drought, Ahab disbelieved in God.

And then the rain came. The very moment Elijah had confirmation of rain, he fled to Samaria by way of Jezreel, where Jezebel and Ahab had amassed power. Jezreel was a powerful military stronghold, where Ahab was certain to go once evidence of God arose. When the rain came, Elijah knew Ahab and Jezebel would rally their troops and try to kill him. He also knew that the rain meant Ahab and Jezebel could feed and water the armies that they couldn't during the drought. It was game on.

Have you ever had one of those moments where something happened and you knew it meant game on? My stomach is in knots just thinking about it. Several years ago I was working in a church in a stable career with a steady salary when God started stirring my heart in a different direction. At first, it was much like the tiny cloud over the sea -- it was a far off, indistinct something different deep inside me. As the cloud grew, and the stirring inside me grew, I started searching for the answer to the question, what's next for me? For nearly a year the searching grew until it was clear I had to move on. I had a fairly good idea of what I might do, but I hadn't yet worked out all the details. (Like how would I pay my bills?) After an unsettling week-long vacation, I knew it was time. I went to my supervisor and told him I had to resign.

Holy crap! What had I done? It was that moment when there was no turning back. It was game on!

Six years later, I am doing something completely different than the thing I thought I would do. But it is most certainly the thing God knew I would be doing. I had to trust that God had my back on this, and God did. I love what I do, and the journey has been thrilling! We are all faced with that moment of truth from time to time. I generally believe there's no right or wrong answer because God can work through us no matter what we choose. Personally, I tend to gravitate toward the riskier, more thrilling thing. I love when it's game on. It's an opportunity to see just what God's made of.

Narrative Lectionary Text: 1 Kings 18:41-46

Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of rushing rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; there he bowed himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees. He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” He went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” Then he said, “Go again seven times.” At the seventh time he said, “Look, a little cloud no bigger than a person’s hand is rising out of the sea.” Then he said, “Go say to Ahab, ‘Harness your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” In a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind; there was a heavy rain. Ahab rode off and went to Jezreel. But the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; he girded up his loins and ran in front of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.