February 5 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

Elijah's name is his mission: "My God is the LORD." Elijah teaches us the meaning of repentance by the removal of idolatry. Unless we obey the Word, God's blessings don't descend. Instead, the land will experience a terrible drought.

Bible Reading:

Luke 4:23–27

Bible Text:

There were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time.... Yet Elijah was [sent] ... to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon (Luke 4:25–26).

Devotional:

In the days of Ahab, Israel did not listen to the Word of God. So God sent Elijah to Zarephath in the region of Sidon. When God removed the bearer of his Word from Israel, God himself turned away from his chosen people. But among the Gentiles a woman saw God's life-giving work and believed the Word.

God didn't only send many prophets to Israel—eventually God sent his own Son. Yet the synagogue of Nazareth did not believe him.

Then Jesus reminded them of the time Elijah was sent from Israel to the widow of Zarephath. Christ said that God's gift of salvation, which they refused, would be given to the Gentiles.

Later, two of Christ's missionaries, Paul and Barnabas, spoke the same message in a Jewish synagogue: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it ... we now turn to the Gentiles" (Acts 13:46).

The Word of God came first to Israel, then to the Gentiles. And to this day, God moves the gospel and the Word-bearing church to another place if nations don't respond in faith. In our generation, the gospel has moved from Europe to North America. Now, apparently, it is moving from North America to Africa. Only where faith welcomes the Word do people experience the life-giving power of God.

Believe and live while the Word is near. For when the Word has gone elsewhere, there will be a terrible drought.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.