He's Got Wheels

44 So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

1 Kings 18:44-46

Observant
Have you ever seen one of those showdown where an overconfident athlete challenges a fleet-footed beast to a race? It's typically a very short dash, and the beast typically ends up victorious. Today's passage finds Elijah, right after he has won the showdown on Mt. Carmel running ahead of the King's chariot to Jezreel - a distance of about 30 miles - and winning the race. Are you kidding me?


Journey
The key to the victory is not in Elijah's ability (do you see a pattern forming for him?) but in the phrase "the power of the Lord came on Elijah." Lord, please empower me to accomplish things beyond my own abilities, that you might be glorified.

Like a Good Neighbor

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  Galatians 5:13-15

Observant
I have friends who returned to town after moving away for three years.  I showed up to help them unload the truck and observed something that was very cool.  Their next door neighbors were there to help them unload the truck as well.  It was clear that they had a relationship that was strong and had endured the absence. 

Journey
This made me think of my neighbors.  What kind of connections am I making with them?  How am I serving them?  Reaching out to them?  I know it can be difficult, especially when all we see is the garage door go up, the car drive in, and the garage door go down.  I observed something valuable between my friends and their neighbors that I think is worth the effort.

Heliotropes Wanted

 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  1 John 1:5-7

OBSERVANT
I learned a new word this week - heliotropism.  Heliotropism describes a plant that grows in such a way that it turns itself to grow toward the light of the sun.  I immediately thought of this little fella that sits in our kitchen.  Doesn't he look like he would crawl right out the window if he could to get to more light?

JOURNEY
I want to have the same eagerness to grow, reaching for more light,  knowing where my source of strength comes from for my fellowship and my purity.  Lord, help me walk in the light.

The Water Truck

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?     James 3:9-11

Observant
When I was in high school, I went with a Marine Biology class to snorkel in the Bahamas.  We spent the week at a dive station that required its water to be hauled in every couple of days in a large water truck.  One day as I was hanging around, I saw a water truck that looked very similar parked in a different location.  My curiosity got the best of me, and I asked the driver what he was doing.  He said that he was emptying the holding tank for the sewage.  Was this the same truck that had been bringing our drinking water?  ACK!! He assured me that it wasn't the same truck.

Journey
Imagine for a moment, though, that it was the same truck, and the driver's assurance was that he had cleaned it really, really good.  He could not possibly clean it enough for me to ever drink water from it.  This passage from the Bible refers to our speech, but Jesus reminded us that a man speaks out of the what's in his heart.  Our hearts are the source that must remain pure, and our words will be the evidence of if it is so.