How Not To Snatch Defeat From the Jaws
of Victory, Part I
Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: How Not To Snatch
Defeat From the Jaws of Victory, Part I-------------- Date: 6/06/2000
Keywords:
"Elijah"
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temptation.
Passage: 1 Kings 18:36-39,
19:1-3a, 9*
18:36. Then it came about at the time of the
offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O
Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that Thou art God in
Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word.
37. "Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know
that Thou, O Lord, art God, and that Thou has turned their heart back again."
38. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering
and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and
they said, "The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God."
19:1. Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had
killed all the prophets with the sword.
2. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the
gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by
tomorrow about this time.
3. And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life…
9. Then he [Elijah] came there to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the
Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
Questions
1. Why did God asked Elijah the question in verse 9?
2. Do you think God didn’t already know the answer?
Practical help
I was on the phone the other day with a good Christian brother and
just before hanging up, he asked me to do him a favor.
"Would you keep me in your prayers that I overcome temptations
with pornography? I consider myself vulnerable at this point."
"Why do you feel vulnerable?" I asked.
"Well for one thing, I’m tired because I just got back
from a difficult trip where God used me in some other peoples lives."
"Why would that make you vulnerable?" I again asked, not
sure I understood his point.
"Sometimes after a significant success," he wisely
explained, " I have the tendency to drop my guard."
How about you? Have you experienced defeat that followed on the
heals of a time of success? If so, remember that spiritual success does not prove you are
no longer vulnerable to fatigue, fear and temptation. If it could happen to Elijah the
prophet, it can happen to you and me.
By the way, if the story of Elijah is unfamiliar to you, I recommend
you read it. It’s incredible! (1 Kings 17:1 - 19:21)
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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright
The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by
permission."