February 17 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:

James 5: 13–18

Bible Text:

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed ... and it did not rain.... Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain (Jas. 5:17–18).

Devotional:

We cannot help but admire Elijah. He is one of the great Old Testament saints, like Abraham and Moses.

Elijah was an enormously strong character through whom God did astounding miracles. At Elijah's request, God revived a dead child. The word of Elijah was the Word of God. When Elijah returned to Israel, Ahab wanted to kill him, but when the two met, Ahab did as Elijah proposed. Elijah challenged the religion of the land and restored the LORD's altar. And when he had fulfilled his work on earth, Elijah was not buried in the ground but taken to heaven in a fiery chariot.

In the Bible, Elijah is a tower of strength.

But in one respect Elijah is "just like us," the Bible says. When it comes to prayer, Elijah and we are on the same level. The prayer of any righteous, godly person is powerful, whether that person's name is Elijah, Tom, Dick, or Mary. The epistle of James says that what Elijah did, we can do also.

I do not know why people keep sending prayer requests—soaked in tears and wrapped in money—to bishops and televangelists. Don't you know that you and I and every child of God has access to the throne room of God?

Elijah did it. You and I can do it too, in Jesus' name.

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.