A Role Model for our Days
“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours” (Jas 5:17)
God's light shines brightest during dark times. And especially when evil is gaining the upper hand, faithfulness to God and His Word is something very precious! There will be a great reward for this faithfulness one day!
Today we’re living in a time that the Bible calls the last days. Paul makes it clear that this time in Christianity is characterised by a turning away from the truth. A great spiritual decline is seen.
But especially in these times, it’s very precious to God when individual Christians swim against the current. Even when the masses are maybe heading in a different direction.
That’s why Paul makes the personal appeal three times in his second letter to Timothy: "As for you." As for you, be different. As for you, be faithful.
What’s written in 2 Chronicles 16:9 also applies to our time: “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”
God encourages us through His Word for exactly such times. And how does He do that? By showing us role models who swam against the current in difficult times.
The Bible shows us role models who remained faithful to God - come what may. We can read about role models who stood up for God and His interests. They did that even when the majority of God's people became indifferent and turned away from Him.
Elijah was exactly this type of a role model. And his story is especially encouraging for our life of faith.
On the one hand, Elijah was not a spiritual high-flyer. He was a man with the same feelings as us, as James expressly writes. This means that he knew ups and downs in his life of faith.
At the same time, we are definitely challenged by his example. That’s because he shows us how to lean on God's Word during difficult times. He shows us how to pray with faith.
He shows us what it means to live in dependence on the LORD. How to trust courageously in Him - and what is possible when God uses people who are availible for Him.
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