June 11-20, 2002

June 11

Today’s Reading - Ecclesiastes 4 - 6

(Eccl 6:9 KJV) Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which gives a great insight into a worldly feature that we have all partaken of. Have you ever had a conversation like this? “I’ll tell you, if I hit the lottery for twenty million, I would give a chunk to the church, pay off all my bills, and then pay off the bills of my relatives, etc., etc.” Or “if I had their money, I wouldn’t buy a boat, I would……” I think we have all had conversations like that and many thoughts along the same fantasy line. Then comes the day when they pull the numbers for the lottery and you didn’t win. So there goes all your dreams and fantasies. This is why God says that a “wondering desire” is vanity and vexation. What God is saying here is that He wants us to focus on the reality that is before us, “sight of the eyes.” God does not want us fantasizing about winning the lottery or being in a situation we are not. God wants us deal with the situation that we are in. Whenever we start letting our daydream mindset take over, we lose reality consciousness only to be brought back to stark reality. The truth is that not every husband is a Kevin Costner or every wife a Halle Berry and our children are not like “Wally and the Beaver.” Whenever we start wishing or fantasizing our spouses or children to be something they are not, we are, in essence, denying what they are. Many talented children have missed their calling because of parental oversight.

For example, a father wants his son to go out and be a football player, of course, star quarterback. The problem is the only thing the son is good for is catching colds, never mind footballs, but he seems to have a great propensity towards music. Just because the boy didn’t fulfill his father’s dreams, does this make the son a failure? No it doesn’t, no child is required to fulfill a parental dream, and they shouldn‘t be guilt manipulated to believe they should. They are here to fulfill the purpose God has created them for. Now there are times that God gives the same gift to progeny. For example, do you recall the preachers, Increase and Cotton Mather? They were father and son. What about our present President, George W. and his father, George Bush. Father and son presidents, like John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Now I don’t want this commentary to be a parenting class, but I wanted to bring some examples that we are all familiar with. Many parents want their children to have it better than they did. The reality is that this does not happen. Leaving them more money does not change them. It may put better clothes on them but it does not change their heart. It just means sinners with deeper pockets.

Since the creation of man some thousands of years ago, each 40 years or so a new generation is born. If each subsequent one was better, then we should be living in a near utopian setting, but the problem is we are not. Unsaved parents normally spawn unsaved children, but there are exceptions, and those unbelievers are going to do the same sins their parents did. This is why God does not want us chasing after dreams and fantasies but to deal with what we have right before our eyes. Those wandering desires will vex (distress or agitate) our spirit but when we deal with where the Lord has placed us, that is when we leave our legacy of reality to our children because we have prepared them to live in reality and not rest in fantasy. How can anyone build a dream on useless lottery tickets or a mass of what ifs? (Eccl 4:13 KJV) Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

June 12

Today’s Reading - Ecclesiastes 7 - 9

(Eccl 9:16 KJV) Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which gives us a little insight concerning the wisdom of the “non-rich and famous.” Have you ever noticed that some of the smartest people you know are not necessarily the most affluent people in this world? Yet, when opinions are needed, the media or whoever will take opinions from places like Hollywood. How many people follow the opinions and advice of actors and actresses? What about the idea that because a person has money, then right away we get the idea that whatever they say has to have value because they are rich. Being rich or famous does not necessarily mean that a person is wise. It could mean just the opposite. Many times when people have money or are famous, their common sense or any wisdom they have may go right out the window. Fame and wealth should not be the criteria for wisdom. Many times I have written letters to the editor of my local newspaper and they have been chopped up beyond understandability. If I would be rich and powerful in my town, then not one word of my comment would be left out. Unfortunately, social stratification is the normal method of the world. The ears go to the highest bidder. Yet, our verse says that wisdom is better than strength. The rich or powerful man may have much strength because of their position, yet the Bible states that wisdom will always be better than strength. Godly wisdom is forever while worldly strength or position will last only until the last day.

This verse should warn Christians that their wisdom will be despised simply because they do not hold the world’s goods in quantity. Where did we ever get the idea that money equals wisdom or even brains for that matter? It behooves each of us to assess a person, not by their dollars, but by the wisdom they exude in any given situation. We must value wisdom as a higher gift from God than worldly goods. This verse also tells us that many achievements which are attained by using wisdom will go unnoticed by the world. We must never labor to try and gain the notice of the world, if we do, then we have done something to please them. But if we do not, we should never take it to heart and allow ourselves to be discouraged because of it. We must labor in the wisdom that God gives us and our goal must never be notoriety. A great verse concerning wisdom is: (Eccl 7:19 KJV) Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. If we continually seek the wisdom of God, we shall be stronger than the one with muscles or political strength. Remember, what Solomon’s initial prayer was for, wisdom in doing his daily routine as King. You will be surprised that if you show a good amount of wisdom, whether it be on the job or other places, you will be sought out. There is one situation you may have to deal with if you show that you have more wisdom than your boss, he or she may look at you as a threat, especially if people come to you for advice. Even with the world despising us if we show wisdom, we must never cease to ask for the wisdom of God to rule in our life. We answer to the Lord. (1 Cor 10:31 KJV) Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

June 13

Today’s Reading - Ecclesiastes 10 -12

(Eccl 12:12 KJV) And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which gives us a good insight about the Christian world of literature. I remember when I was a young Christian and was hungry for the Word of God, whenever I saw a Christian book, I wanted to buy it. I have probably purchased a few hundred books in my Christian life. I cannot pinpoint the exact number. I remember the first time I went into a Christian Bookstore in 1981, I was overwhelmed. I had no choice but to rely on the suggestion of the man behind the counter. The first book of the Bible I studied was Galatians but the next book we were studying at my new Bible study at the church was Ephesians. So I purchased a commentary by HCG Moule on the book of Ephesians. This was the beginning of the building of my library. I was book crazy. Anytime I walked into a Christian Bookstore, I walked out with a number of books. The problem was, I did not read all of them and they gathered dust on my shelf. So after a while, I did a major purge of books and got rid of about 75% of all my books. I kept the reference and some commentaries which eventually went the way of the others. The only books I have now are my reference books. The problem with having so many books is that if you read each one, it keeps you out of the Bible for extended periods of time and when you read the Bible, it will be through the understanding of the authors you have read. This is one major problem with reading excessive amounts of books.

Now, I am not condemning the reading of literature which is necessary for whatever branch of Christianity God calls us to. If the Lord seems to call you into an area like apologetics, you will read material peculiar to that discipline. In my own life, I have been studying the issue of modern versions of the Bible since 1986, so I purchase material which is edifying to that discipline. Christians are called primarily to salvation but the ancillary calling is what we do in this world in the area of ministry. Some are called as pastors, evangelists, business people, computer experts, finances, etc. Small thought here, as Dr. Robert A. Cook would say, treat your vocation as part of your ministry and you will not be short of being fulfilled in your daily tasks. So each of us are called to a different area of service and thus we have different knowledge needs. This verse in Ecclesiastes is not telling us we should not read other books, but it is warning that there must be a cutoff point to the amount of things we read. Excessive studying can weary the body almost into depression. I know this is true because I faced it when I was going for my Masters degree. I wanted to quit because it was just too much, but the Lord had raised someone up right at that time to encourage me to go on. When we pursue the education god, even as Christians, it can have a negative effect on our life. This is why this warning is given to us in Ecclesiastes about the fact there will never be an end to people writing books. It behooves the Christian to be very discerning as to the quality, quantity, and the necessity of the books we want to read. Remember, it is important to factor in that whatever we read will affect our spiritual walk. I know I am going to get flak on this next statement, but I see Christian fiction as one of the most useless wastes of reading time. Pick up a biography, a Christian missionary story, a Christian history book, a Church history book, or something else along the lines of reality. The Mennonites and the Anabaptists have a wonderful history. What about the growth of the Baptist church from Roger Williams to today? Have you ever read “Of Plymouth Plantation” by Governor William Bradford? What about “The Christian in Complete Armor” by William Gurnall? What about “England: before and after the Wesleys” by J. Wesley Bready? What about “Fox’s book of Martyrs?” This should be required reading for all Christians. The reason I say that Christian fiction is useless is because you cannot pull any information to witness with from fantasy. We should only read books which increase the value and usefulness of our testimony. Till I meet you once again by way of the Internet, walk with the King today and be a blessing!

June 14

Today’s Reading - Song of Solomon 1 - 4

(Song 2:15 KJV) Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

In today’s reading we come across one of the most beautiful descriptions of the love between Christ and His bride, the church. While this book may seem to be speaking of the love between Solomon and one of his wives, it is a beautiful story of God’s love. In the above verse we see that as the lovers are strolling through the vineyards, they are commenting on the little foxes that spoil the vines. The foxes were known to come out of the hills and to eat the fruit of the vines. The vines in this verse speaks of having “tender grapes.” (1 Cor 5:6 KJV) Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? As we see in this verse it speaks of a “little” leaven, not a whole lot. Our SOS verse tells us that it is the “little” foxes that spoil the vines. We can look at these little foxes and liken them to the “little” leaven. It doesn’t take a large sin to ruin a relationship. While nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39), we can do great damage in personal relationships with the small things that cause irritations. Satan is not going to come into a marriage or a relationship with a major intervention. He is going to come with many small fight-starters. The problem is that as Christians we should know better, instead of rebuffing these things we allow them to begin the war. One of the key principles for avoiding a possible war within a relationship is quite easy, and it works. It is the principle of “overlooking.”

When one looks at the start of many wars, they usually begin as something small such as border skirmishes or intelligence wars. They then begin to escalate into a major war and the result is that many die. This is why God wants us to spot the little foxes before they tend to turn our vineyard of life into a war zone. It should also be noted that in relationships, that the women should not be the only ones who overlook things. Men should also learn how to overlook things too. This comes from a guys point of view, that men can be very insensitive at times and not even know it. We must learn how to identify those areas. If our spouses point them out to us, then we should not neglect them. That neglect, by either spouse, will allow the little foxes to gain entrance into the vineyard. I don’t have any data to support this except my good looks and high intelligence, but if the little foxes were chased out of the vineyard at the beginning, then the divorce rate among Christians would be way down. Less would be living in hostile relationships. So as Christians let us learn to identify the danger signals of impending battle. Overlook the small things and don’t let them become so big, they wreck your life. Take it to the Lord in prayer to give you discernment to catch the little foxes, before they catch you.

June 15

Today’s Reading - Song of Solomon 5 - 8

(Song 8:8-9 KJV) We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? {9} If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.

In today’s reading we come across these verse which seem to be a dilemma for this young girl. However, this is not going to be a commentary on female anatomy rather we look at the spiritual aspects of this verse which pertain to the things of salvation. First of all, the verse speaks of a very young woman who has not fully developed yet and it is a dilemma for her brothers concerning her day of marriage. Now when we look at this passage, some good spiritual lessons come forth. The Bible speaks of the body of Christ being the bride of Christ. When a person is young in the faith they will not be fully developed. There is a growing pattern which must take place and it is a life long growth. Notice in verse 9 that the brothers will build a “palace of silver” on her. When we see the metal silver, in the Bible, it is associated with redemption. We see Joseph was sold in slavery for 20 pieces of silver. Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Silver was used copiously in the tabernacle. We can see that her brothers want to build a big dowry for her to compensate for her lack of development. Let us spiritually look at this. When there is a new believer, it behooves those who are more mature in the faith to build a great spiritual dowry for that new believer. They are to be nurtured and grown in the faith until such a time that they can begin to nourish those that are younger in the faith. The female breasts are to nourish babies with milk and what does the Bible teach that we should give a new believer?

(Heb 5:13 KJV) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (1 Pet 2:2 KJV) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: The new believer is given the milk of the word and that is how we build upon them a wall of silver. We help grow them up in their salvation so they will eventually get to the point that they will build a wall of silver upon another new believer. Now when it comes to the day of marriage, the husband will accept his bride no matter what she looks like. Let us pose another question. When is the day of marriage for the believer? There are two. Our first marriage day is the day we become saved and the consummation of that marriage takes place on the day when we go to be with the Lord in Heaven. On that day, every believer will be fully qualified for the kingdom of Heaven. We will receive our glorified spiritual bodies and be with the Lord forever. Song of Solomon is a very nice book but it must be viewed in the proper manner. While it looks like a love story between two people, it is really the greatest love story of Christ and his bride, the church. Has the Lord blessed you with a sweet wife? It is okay to call her your Rose of Sharon. Has the Lord blessed you with a good husband? It is okay to call him your Beloved. (Song 2:12 KJV) The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

June 16

Today’s Reading - 1 Kings 5 - 7

(1 Ki 6:38 KJV) And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which teaches us that there was an end to the building of the Temple of Solomon. It took seven years to build the temple. If there is one thing that the physical building of the temple shows us is that God uses different parts to build the physical temple and He also uses different people with different gifts to build the Temple of the body of Christ. When we look at the list of materials that Solomon used, we see how diversified was the need to make that temple stand. There was timber, stone, gold, brass, and probably other unnamed materials. This temple gives us a good insight Into the body of Christ. God is teaching us that He is saving people from all over the world and from all different vocations. If you look over these three chapters, you will see that there were certain specifications for the sizes of the different parts of the Temple. This teaches us that each part in the Temple had a certain task to perform. For example, the pillars would support the structure, the wall would be made of gold-overlaid cedar, the floors would also be of cedar, etc. In other words, each structural part was created and fashioned to do a certain job, no more and no less. Each part could not go beyond what it was designed for and try to be what it was not.

When reading passages like building of the Temple, we see the care that God gives to the details of construction. If God is so concerned with minute detail concerning a building, don’t you think that He is more concerned with the Body of Christ as He continues to build it until the last one is saved? God gives His children certain traits and attributes which need to be developed as we grow in the Christian faith. The reason why so many Christians feel overworked or underused is because we try working in a different area than what God has determined for us. Look at the Temple in our passages today. The door was made to be a door, not a window. The pillars were made pillars and not doors. As with many Christians who envy the talents of others, they become stagnant in their walk. Instead of looking at what talents and attributes the Lord gives them, they focus on others and feel they cannot do anything for the Kingdom because they don’t possess the other Christian’s talents. If each believer would focus on what they can do for the Kingdom of God, even if it is a small contribution, there would be a mighty army of Christians roaming this earth. We would no longer be running from the dead religions nor fearing the unbelievers. Christianity would be a force to be reckoned with as it was for the first two hundred and fifty years in this country. Even unbelievers showed a respect for the church and clergy. Today most Christians walk around like spiritual zombies and have no idea why they exist. The reason I say most is because the 10% who are doing all the work are the ones being given the grief by the 90% who do nothing. Christians need to get serious about their commitments to Christ. As the Temple parts fit perfectly, so does each Christian and we must seek the Lord to find out where we belong, before it is too late.

June 17

Today’s Reading - 1 Kings 8 - 10

(1 Ki 8:56 KJV) Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which is a reminder that God will bring to pass all that He has promised. Sometimes in periods of despair or discouragement we sometimes tend to believe that God has reneged on His promises or we may feel that His promises are for others and not us. In the above verse we see how God fulfilled his promise to give Israel a land. We saw this back in Joshua 21 when God declared that all that He spoke concerning the land for Israel came to pass. This verse is reiterating the fulfillment of that promise. When we read a fulfillment of a promise which God makes to anyone in Scripture, it should be an encouragement to us that whatever God has promised His children, He will bring it to pass. Many times we are afflicted with the infection of disbelief and if there is anything that truncates the work in a believer’s life, it is unbelief. (Heb 11:6 KJV) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. We have probably read this verse hundreds of times but how many times do we tend to skim popular verses without really looking at them. The key to coming to God is to believe that “He is.” Now we ask the question, “is what?” Look at the verse and see. We must come to God believing He is GOD! If we believe He is God, then how could we approach Him with an unbelieving heart. Then we are approaching Him on the basis that He is not God or we are approaching Him without understanding the import of that name, “God.”

By His own name, we know Him as being all powerful, all knowing, and in all places at once. There is nothing that we face in this life which does not come under the umbrella of one of these major attributes of God. All of God’s promises will fall under one of these three attributes. This is why we can always be encouraged, even when tough times come, that God will handle any situation which comes our way. (Gen 18:14 KJV) Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. If the Lord can cause a 90 year old woman to conceive, what could possibly face us that God could not handle? God is in total control of this entire universe and even though it looks like it is out of control, it is not. Nothing is too hard for the Lord? Look at His salvation plan. By being in Christ our eternal salvation is secure. Can you imagine any sinner trying to make it on good works? What works? How many works? Which works are acceptable and which are not? How would we know? Thank the Lord for grace! (2 Cor 1:20 KJV) For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. The promise of an eternal home for us is already sealed in Christ for all eternity. Stop and thank the Lord for His abundant fulfillment of all the promises he has made toward His children. Not one word shall fall and not one promise shall fail.

June 18

Today’s Reading - 1 Kings 11-13

(1 Ki 12:16 KJV) So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

In today’s reading we come across a sad principle which teaches us the culmination of the sin of Solomon. Since Solomon chose to follow the false religions of his wives and concubines, he allowed himself to be carried away from the pure teachings of God for perverted false religions. As we see in this sad chapter that both his sons were no good and that the beginning of the end of Israel and Judah was at hand. (Prov 29:2 KJV) When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. Solomon should have read his own writings! I know I have been told that many times. When the leadership of a country begins to adopt and then adapt to false ways, the outcome is always a disaster but who always suffers? It is the poor people of the nation. This is why when the righteous rule the people are happy. We see this in our own nation. Whenever we have had righteous leadership, whether on a local or national level, the area under their authority seemed to prosper. Look at the President we have now, what a contrast to the last administration. The difference between the two administrations, in my estimation, is found in the use of the following word. President Bush asks people to “pray” for him. President Clinton saw everyone as his “prey.” He who has ears to hear. As Christians we want to continue to pray and encourage our godly leaders. Our own country faced a dilemma akin to that of Israel. During the time of the Civil War, we had a split nation for four years and unless God had intervened, we do not know what would have happened.

God had a greater purpose for the United States than separate countries under one roof. He brought this nation together again, so this way the Christians would unite and begin the task of evangelism in these last days. We must also learn a personal lesson from what happened to Solomon, in that we must never think that there are no consequences for our sins. If we sin and nothing happens, we may begin to feel that nothing ever will happen, but if we neglect our holy calling and turn it into a profane calling, then we, as Solomon will pay the price. We must also realize that our sins will definitely affect others. Solomon sinned and seemed to be concerned only with his carnal pleasures but he did not realize that his multi-religious living (today we call it inter-faith) would have such a damaging effect on the nation of Israel. I am sure that if Solomon could have seen the future effects of his sin, he may have sincerely sought the Lord and repented. This is the deceitfulness of sin. It is almost like when Neville Chamberlain came back from Munich in 1938 and believed that just because Hitler signed a treaty, that England was safe. Two years later the deceitfulness of sin showed up with Luftwaffe bombers over England. We must never make a concordat with sin because it will always have a disastrous effect, even when we think we are getting away with something. Look at Achan, 36 died at AI because he broke the law of God. Let us stop sin in our mind before it becomes an act of desolation in our lives.

June 19

Today’s Reading - 1 Kings 14 - 16

(1 Ki 15:11 KJV) And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which teaches us plainly that through the power of God, we can rid ourselves of pre-learned behavior. Here we see good king Asa who was the son of Abijam who was the son of Rehoboam. The latter two men were kings of Judah but they did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord. I am sure that Asa probably saw his father and probably his grandfather performing works which were against the Lord. When his father Abijam died he ascended to the throne, where he was obedient unto the Lord. A parallel passage is found in 2 Chronicles 14 which gives other details of the life of Asa. What we see here is that Asa broke the chain of evil which took hold of the prior two kings. Asa walked in obedience before the Lord. He was no doubt privy to the schemes and the idolatries which were running rampant in the palace of Judah. Maybe he wanted to do something about it but his time was not yet. When he ascended the throne in God’s timing, he was able to turn back some of the evil which had become ingrained in the rebellious attitude of the people. Remember, as the leadership goes, so goes the people under them.

This brings up a spiritual principle which we can use in our life. Many of us are the only ones saved in our families. As we saw how Asa walked with the Lord and rebuffed the evil ways of his three predecessors, we can also, through the power of the Holy Spirit, rebuff all the wrong teachings we have been exposed to through the years. Some have been saved at a later age and have come out of movements or belief systems which are totally opposed to Christianity. One of the cleansings that the Lord does for us is to expose all the false teachings in our life which we may have been exposed to over the years and teaches us how wrong they are and that we must expunge them from our life. It is very hard for anyone to live just a few years on this earth without being bombarded with thought patterns by which we may order our life. Whenever we become saved, those predilections we bring into our Christian walk must be examined in light of the Scriptures to see whether we can keep them or if they must go. Worldly thought and Christian thinking do not normally work in concert since they are antithetical to one another. What seems right to us may be wrong in the sight of God and that is why our Bibles must become mirrors. The Scriptures can objectively teach us and re-direct our thinking process. Notice in 15:5 God commends David yet He mentions the fact that David sinned with Bathsheba. This is why we can count on the Scriptures to be our guide out of wrong thinking. If we are going to do right in the sight of the Lord it must be according to the Scriptures and not our sin tainted natures. When we look at the Kings of Israel and Judah, we must see if there are any parallels in our lives. If there are, then we must remove them as Asa removed Maachah for making an idol in a grove.

June 20

Today’s Reading - 1 Kings 17 - 19

(1 Ki 19:19 KJV) So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which reminds me of the saying “are you ready?” Sometimes when we are doing labor which seems rote, we get the feeling that what we are doing has no value. This is incorrect because no matter what we do if we order our vocational life according to Colossians 3:17, then there is no such thing as rote. (Col 3:17 KJV) And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. As we see in our three chapters, at the beginning of Chapter 17, Elijah bursts on to the scene. Not too much is known about Elijah but his name means “Jehovah is my God.” He comes on the scene as a mighty prophet of God in the reign of one of the most wicked kings of Israel, Ahab and his scheming wife Jezebel who was the daughter of Ethbaal the Second, a Zidonian. Elijah had challenged her prophets and because he represented the true God in this confrontation, he won and had the prophets of Baal struck dead. After seeing this great spiritual battle won by God, he ran for cover when he got wind of Jezebel’s death threat on his life. (James 5:17 KJV) Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. Elijah feared Jezebel but that fear did not last long as God rejuvenated him and he went about the Lord’s business.