Moments For You

These two prophets, whose ministries are recorded in a few short passages in 1 & 2 Kings, stand out among the characters of the Bible. Though neither of them wrote a book, the accounts of their lives and service for the Lord tell us much about God's holiness, justice, love,... Read more →

For the believer in Christ, there will be an end to suffering: "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4). However, the... Read more →

For each of the following clues, decide whether the correct answer is Elijah or Elisha and then circle the letter in that column. Once you have circled a letter for every clue, unscramble the circled letters to reveal a descriptive name for each prophet. If you need more help, see... Read more →

God's answer to the problem of suffering is that He came right down into it. Many Christians try to get God off the hook for suffering; God put Himself on the hook, so to speak—on the cross. And therefore the practical conclusion is that if we want to be with... Read more →

Use these Scripture references to look up the answers to the questions in the "Name That Prophet" puzzle. 2 Kings 4:1-7 1 Kings 17:8-16 1 Kings 18:21-39 2 Kings 4:8-37 2 Kings 2:23-25 1 Kings 18:41-46 2 Kings 5:9-14 2 Kings 2:4-8 2 Kings 2:14-18 1 Kings 17:2-6 2 Kings... Read more →

"Let not your heart be troubled!" Jesus says, for He recognizes the severe trials which burden our souls. Those who give counsel for the distressed often do not understand the problems they promise to solve; Christ knows our every sorrow. He was born in a stable and understands the needs... Read more →

1 Kings 17:1-7 The prophet has been alone with God in the secret place of prayer. Then for a brief moment he speaks for God in the presence of the apostate king. The future, however, holds a far greater service for Elijah. The day will come when he will defeat... Read more →

QUESTION: What was the "thorn in the flesh" that was given to the apostle Paul, and how could this thorn also be a messenger of Satan? (2 Corinthians 12:1-10) ANSWER: We are not told what the thorn in the flesh was. Some have speculated that it had to do with... Read more →

2 Kings 6:1-7 We find illustrated here, I am sure, the constant danger besetting every true child of God of losing his touch with God, and of sinking into the mire of worldliness and sin as a consequence. Let's look at it from that point of view. There are a... Read more →

The fact that Jesus came to earth where He suffered and died does not remove pain from our lives. But it does show that God did not sit idly by and watch us suffer in isolation. He became one of us. Thus, in Jesus, God gives us an up-close and... Read more →

2 Kings 4:1-7 "According to your faith be it unto you" (Matthew 9:29), was the Lord's word to the two blind men. Wondrous and blessed indeed that in any way our faith, or patience, or expectation should be allowed to measure the active and bounteous power of our Lord! But... Read more →

Did you catch the news today? If you did, you were no doubt confronted with suffering. Some days the reports may be of the suffering of a few people, but often the stories tell of catastrophes affecting hundreds, if not thousands of souls. The fact that disaster, disease, and death... Read more →

"Elijah … prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months" (James 5:17; 1 Kings 17:8-24). The first part of the answer to his prayer led him to Samaria and Ahab. The next to Cherith, where... Read more →

Man's main concern with the dark fact of suffering is not to find an explanation: it is to find a victory. It is not to elaborate a theory; it is to lay hold upon a power. Even if you possessed the answer to the riddle; even if you had it... Read more →

The ministry of suffering may be considered as threefold: as it affects ourselves; as it affects our relation to other sufferers; and last and most important of all, as it affects our relation to God. In Relation to Ourselves Let us read 1 Peter 5:10, "But the God of all... Read more →