A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL: P/2

 

                                     

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES 

              ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL 

                                    PART II 

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, has just come back from a meeting with king Ahab.... It was a very unpleasant meeting to say the least....That is not too surprising... For I had to tell him God is going to send a drought through the land....King Ahab did not take kindly to my words.... In fact, I could see his anger rising up within him as I was sharing my message with him.... So I left him as soon as I had told him the bad news... There was no point in hanging around any longer.... Who knows what he may want to do to me as the bearer of this bad news... Of course, I am not responsible for this drought.... King Ahab is responsible for this drought....He has made God very angry with his willful disobedience....But the king will still blame me, I am quite sure... I may, therefore, have to go into hiding... The Lord will show me where to go....He has always taken care of me....I am sure He will continue to do so."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn where God directs Elijah to go to....

 

                 ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES 

                                             ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL

                                                                      PART II  

The Lord knows that Elijah needs protection from a very angry king Ahab and gives him clear instructions as to where he is to hide as you can read in 1 Kings 17: 2-6

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there," So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

The Lord made sure Elijah had water to drink by sending him to a brook. And He arranged for him to be fed as well. 

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OILP /1

Here is the first post of my first story on the life of the prophet Elijah. 

 

                                   

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES 

              ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL 

                                       PART I 

"I, Elijah, live in Tishbe in Gilead, Israel.... I am a prophet of God.... Unfortunately, we are having a very ungodly king over us today... His name is Ahab... He does not worship our God.... Instead, he worships a false god named Baal... God is very angry with king Ahab... Because king Ahab has set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria....God has now told me to go to king Ahab with a message for him... I have to tell him that there will be no rain for the next few years.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn about the prophet's Elijah's visit to king Ahab....

 

                ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES 

                                           ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL

                                                                 PART I 

God is very angry with king Ahab of Israel because he has chosen to worship a false god named Baal and sends the prophet Elijah to him as you can read in 1 Kings 17:1

Now Elijah, the Tishbite from Tishbe said to Ahab: "As the Lord, the God of Israel lives whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."

The prophet Elijah tells king Ahab God has decided that as punishment for his disobedience there will be no dew or rain for some years. 

 

 

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES; ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO P/15

 

                             

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                   ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO

                                      PART XV 

"I, David, the youngest son of Jesse, know that the Lord is there to help me whenever I need Him to do so... My prayer is that those who come after me will know that too."...        Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that God's power is available to you at all times....

 

ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

               ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO

                                                                                                                                                                                                      PART XV 

As a believer you need to remember that God's power to overcome the enemy is available to you 24 hours a day 7 days a week. All you need to do is to be obedient to God, be dressed in the amour of God and use the sword of the Spirit to defeat the enemy.

Jesus used the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, to defeat Satan when Satan attacked Him in the desert as you can read in Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days and at the end of them He was hungry. The devil said to Him, "You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." Jesus answered, "Man does not live on bread alone."The devil led Him to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to Him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me and I can give it to anyone I want to. So, if You worship me, it will all be Yours."Jesus answered, "It is written: "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. " The devil led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the highest point of the Temple. "If You are the Son of God," he said, "Throw Yourself down from here. For it is written, "He will command His angels concerning You to guard You carefully; they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your feet against a stone." Jesus answered, "It says: "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." When the devil had finished all his tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

You must learn to use the same method when attacked by the enemy so that you too will be as victorious against the enemy as David was against Goliath. God wants you to know that no matter what kind of battle you may face, God will enable you to be victorious. All you need to do is to use the weaponry He has given you. This weaponry may not look powerful in the eyes of the world but it is powerful in God's eyes. It will, therefore, cause you to be triumphant over your enemy and will give God the glory He so richly deserves.

P.S. This post is the last one on the story of David and Goliath. We will begin to look at the first of two stories on the prophet Elijah in the next post. 

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO P/14

 

                               

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO       

                                  PART XIV

"I, David, the youngest son of Jesse, have used a very unusual weapon to kill the giant Goliath... I used a smooth stone... The reason I did so is because I am a shepherd and not a soldier.... My prayer is that those who will come after me will know how to dress and what weapons to use to defeat their enemy."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn how to protect your self from your enemy....

 

ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES 

           ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO          

                                                                                           PART XIV

As a believer, you need to make sure that you are dressed in the armour of God to protect yourself against the onslaughts of the enemy. The first piece of the armour is the belt of truth. This refers to Jesus being the Truth as you can read in John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

The next piece of the armour is the breastplate of righteousness. This speaks of the fact that as a believer you are righteous in Christ according to 2 Corinthians 5:21

"God made Him who had no sin to become sin for us so that, in Him, we might become the righteousness of God."

Then Paul mentioned that your feet are to be fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace for Jesus said in John 14:27

"Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you."

Thereafter you are told to take up the shield of faith according to 1 Thessalonians 5:9

"God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."                                                                           

                                                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                    

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO P/13

 

                               

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO

                                  PART XIII 

"I, David, youngest son of Jesse, am so proud of my army... They have just defeated the Philistine army....It took them a while before they were able to do so.... They had to remember that they are not just any army.... They are none other than the army of God.... My prayer is that this story will help others who will come after me to understand as well that they will be able to overcome the enemy with the help of God."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that as a believer you will face spiritual battles...

ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES 

            ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO 

                                                                                                 PART XIII 

The story of David and Goliath is such a great story... But it is not just a great story. It is a story you can learn much from. After all, you too as a believer are part of the army of God. And you too may feel defeated at times by the challenges you face on a daily basis that you forget who you are and forget to rely on God's power to help you be victorious in your battles. Now you will know that your battles are not physical battles as was the case with the Israeli army. Your battles are spiritual battles and you will need spiritual weaponry in order to be victorious, which is described in Ephesians 5:10-17

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and, after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Your weapon against the enemy is the sword of the Spirit or the word of God as you can read in Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

We will look at the second part of the application to the story of David and Goliath in the next post. 

 

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO P/12

 

                                 

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                    ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO 

                                   PART XII                                                                                                   

"I, David, the youngest son of Jesse, have just killed the giant Goliath with a stone... I then used the giant's sword to make sure he he was really dead... My brothers and all the other soldiers watched silently when I approached Goliath earlier on... They heard him shout at me.... They heard my response to him as well...No soldiers, including my brothers, made a move...They all seemed to be frozen at the spot... They then saw me take out a stone from my bag and direct it at the giant Goliath....The next few seconds must have felt like ages for them... For I knew that my God would direct my stone in such a way that it would kill the giant.... But the Israeli soldiers were not so sure... Because they were not quite sure what to make of my weaponry. They are used to  using swords and spears... But they have never used a sling and a stone to kill someone...However, they saw the giant fall down... That is when they came to life....They gave a shout... But they knew they needed to do more....It was time for them to get into action...The Philistine army needed to be defeated... That was not my task... That was for them to do....And they just knew how to go about it.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that the Israeli army pursues the Philistine army.... 

 

                      ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                                ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO

                                                                PART XII 

The Israeli army is so encouraged when they see the giant Goliath fall down.They come back to life and act as they should be pursuing the Philistine army as you can read in 1 Samuel 17:52a

Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and the gates of Enron....

The Israeli army once again realises she is the army of God and is, therefore, able to defeat the Philistine army. 

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO P/11

 

                                 

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES 

                      ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO 

                                      PART XI 

"I, David, the youngest son of Jesse, have just told the giant Goliath, who is facing me at the battle field in the Valley of Elah, that he will be defeated...Moreover, I have told him that the Philistine army will be defeated as well.... I then knew it was time to put action to my words.... Now I am not a soldier... So I do not own a sword or a spear... But being a shepherd I own a bag and a sling... In that bag were five smooth stones... I had collected them earlier today... It was time for me to use one of these stones... I carefully selected one... I then used my sling to point that stone to just the right spot in the forehead of the giant... And I prayed to the God of Israel to direct my stone as I shot it... And He did....As soon as the stone hit the specific spot in the giant's forehead, he fell down... God made sure the stone hit just the right target.".....Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that God directed David's stone to hit Goliath at just the right spot in his forehead.

 

                     ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES 

                                               ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO 

                                                              PART XI

It is time for David to prove the truth of his words to the giant Goliath that he is going to be killed as you can read in 1 Samuel 17:49 -50

Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone. he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead and he fell fact down to the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone,without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

And so God's instrument, David, kills the giant Goliath with nothing more than a stone. 

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO P/10

 

                               

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                    ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO

                                   PART X                                                                                          

"I, David, youngest son of Jesse, am having a rather unusual day today... Normally, I am taking care of my father's sheep.... But today I find myself at the battle field in the Valley of Elah facing a giant named Goliath... I now realise that my time as a shepherd has prepared me for today... For I have had to protect my sheep from a lion and a bear.... There is not too much difference between a lion, a bear or a giant... They are all big and loud.... So they are easy targets... Moreover, though this giant in front of me comes with his sword and spear and javelin against me... His weaponry is no match against the Name of the Lord Almighty.... And today he and the Philistine army will be defeated."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that David declares the battle belongs to the Lord...

 

                    ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES 

                                                      ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO

                                                                    PART X

David, the youngest son of Jesse, is confident that he will be able to overcome the giant Goliath because he comes against the enemy in the Name of the Lord as you can read in 1 Samuel 17:45-48

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin. But I come against you in the Name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, who you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All these gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves for the battle is the Lord's and He will give all of you into our hands." As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle to meet him.

David, the youngest son of Jesse, describes in no uncertain terms what will happen next to the giant Goliath and the Philistine army.  

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO P/9

 

                               

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                   ON SLING SHOT WILL DO

                                 PART IX 

"I, David, the youngest son of Jesse, approached the giant Goliath here on the battle field in the Valley of Elah... The giant came closer to me as well.... He has been here with the Philistine army for a number of days already... During that time  he had every day defied the Israeli army with his words... And every day the response of the Israeli army to his words was to run....Not one soldier had dared to stand up against this giant... This is, no doubt, because the Israeli army has forgotten they are the army of their God....And they have forgotten as well that this giant Goliath is nothing more than an uncircumcised Philistine....But I know....So God has given me the courage to come against this giant... He may well think that he will give my flesh to the birds and the beasts of the field today... But I know that my God will give me the victory today."...Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that Goliath sees David is only a boy...

 

                   ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES  

                                                     ONE SLING SHOT WILL DO

                                                                     PART IX  

When David, the youngest son of Jesse, approaches the giant Goliath, the giant comes closer to David and he is not impressed with David as you can read in 1 Samuel 17:41-44

Meanwhile, the Philistine with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, "Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field."

The giant Goliath looks at David with natural eyes but he does not realise that David does not rely on his own strength but relies on the strength of his God.