Elijah, You, and the Power of God

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, 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.” (1 Kings 17:1, NIV)

That's how Elijah is introduced.

May I ask you a question: What do you know about Elijah?

How old was he?
Was he wealthy? Or poor?
Was he tall and handsome? Popular with others?
Was he a rebellious boy or a model son?
Did he come from a godly family or good pedigree?

Did he have sisters or brothers or cousins?

Was he married or single? Divorced? A widower, maybe?

What were his skills and talents? Did he have a trade?
What were his past experiences?
Was he an extrovert or an introvert?
Did he have a high IQ?

We simply aren't told. Because Elijah's past doesn't matter to God's ability to use him now.

Elijah is very intentionally presented to us as Everyman. Because it's not about Elijah, it's about God working through Elijah. In fact the name Elijah means "God is my Lord."

James reinforces this understanding as he calls people to pray:

The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't—not a drop for three and a half years. (James 5:16-17, The Message translation)

So I encourage you not to get hung up on your past. Don't let Satan whisper to you about your inadequacies and hypocrisies. (Of course you're inadequate! Of course you've been a hypocrite! It's not about you, it's about Jesus!) Be Elijah today for everyone in the sphere of influence that God has granted you, and pray confidently.