Daily Devotionals

Dead End Desperation: Monday

"Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet." 1 Kings 19:16

We are all looking for purpose. Each one of us wants our lives to matter. We want to have an impact. We want everything that we do, day in and day out, to have deep meaning. The Oxford Dictionary defines purpose as “the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.” When it comes down to it, we all want a reason for being created. God gave this desire to each of us by God, who created each one of us with a purpose and a calling.

The Old Testament Prophets were filled with a sense of purpose. For example, 1 Kings 19 tells us about a prophet named Elijah. During this time, he had been giving messages from God to the people of Israel. By the time of 1 Kings 19, Elijah was weary and exhausted. He needed help. At this time, God told him, “anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet” (verse 16). God was providing help for Elijah, the prophet who was in desperate need of help and encouragement. God was making a way for a good transition of the ministry from Elijah to Elisha. Elisha was commissioned to serve God at this moment.

Elijah and Elisha were not the only people given a calling from God. Each follower of Christ has a specific calling that we can find in Matthew 28:19: “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” In other words, we are all called to know Christ and make Him known. Now, how we live out this purpose looks different for each of us. For Elisha, this meant being God’s prophet to the people of Israel. For you and me, it may look like serving in Kids Planet, guest services, or inviting a coworker to church with you. It also looks like pursuing a personal relationship with God by talking to Him regularly and consistently reading His word. When we lean into this purpose, we feel His peace, contentment, and satisfaction that only comes from Him.

Moving toward action

As we have seen, each of us has a calling to know Christ and make Him known. This calling is our purpose. Take a few minutes to think about how you want to grow in both areas. How do you want to know Christ on a deeper level? Maybe you want to spend more time studying your Bible. You may want to spend more time praying. How do you want to carry out your purpose to make Christ known? You can share your two-minute story of the difference Christ has made in your life. Maybe you can invite someone to church this weekend. After you decide how you want to grow, put these steps into practice!

Going Deeper

1 Kings 19:1-18 (NLT)

" Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”