Elijah- Out of Nowhere

On Sunday, we began a study of the life of Elijah, the Old Testament prophet.

As I Kings chapter 16 ends, we're introduced to King Ahab in verse 33 as a wicked king who "did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him". It is this culture and environment that Elijah walks into when he arrives on the scene at the beginning of I Kings 17. At the risk of his own life, Elijah has been chosen by God to confront King Ahab. And the first thing we learn about Elijah is that he is a Tishbite or from the land of Tish. In effect, Elijah came out of nowhere because Tish is a small town, not a well-known destination in Scripture. And therein lies a lesson for all of us.

Here's The Point: It doesn't matter where you're from, God can use you. Your hometown, your history and your family heritage don't matter when you commit your heart and life to God. Just as with King David in I Samuel chapter 16, we're reminded again that "the Lord looks at the heart".