Who Was She?, Pt 2 - No. 73

1 Kings 18:3, “Obadiah feared the Lord greatly.”

 

We continue to look at how Obadiah’s parents prepared him for his life’s destiny.

2.  They raised him to stand for God and for truth, even if he had to stand alone.

Obadiah lived and worked in the midst of evil all around him. He lived in the midst of temptation. All of the king’s court worshipped Baal. It was popular. It was the current trend. Obadiah was on his own as he gave his allegiance to the one true God. He had no encouragement, but he was not deterred. He was raised with an awe of God. He knew that God was the true I AM, even though he was the only one who continued to believe. To “fear the Lord greatly” in the midst of Jezebel’s court, who sought to massacre all the prophets of the Lord, was certainly a great testimony.

Pray that God will empower you to raise children who will stand for God and His truth even if they have to stand alone, children who will confess, “Let God be true but every man a liar.” (Romans 3:4)

3.  They raised him to walk in integrity and to do a job well.

Obadiah was the Lord High Chamberlain.  I am sure that Jezebel hated Obadiah. She wanted to eradicate all those who served God, but she had to put up with Obadiah, because King Ahab could not do without him. The king’s court ran smoothly under Obadiah’s jurisdiction. No one else could do the job as well as he could. When you read verses 5 and 6 of 1 Kings 18 you will see that Obadiah was next to the king in organizing the important matters of the land. Spurgeon comments that he “neither compromised his conscience nor jeopardized his position.”

Don’t accept mediocrity. Raise your children to excel in the gift that God has given them. Of course they don’t have to excel in everything. God has made each one totally different. We must encourage them to be the very best in that which God has given them to do.

4. They raised him to be courageous, even in the face of death.

When Jezebel ordered all the prophets of God to be massacred, Obadiah, at great risk to himself, hid 100 prophets in two caves. He went against the edict of the queen to do that which was right. Obadiah’s parents did not raise a weak jellyfish, but a warrior for God’s army.

Pray that God will anoint you to raise sons and daughters who will be courageous men and women who will do that which is right, even if they have to risk their lives. May they be young people who will answer God’s call to, “Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?” (Psalm 94:16)

5. They raised him to be generous.

Obadiah not only hid the prophets, but he fed them bread and water from his own finances. This was in a time of severe famine when food was scarce and of course very expensive.

Pray that God will help you to raise children who will not be interested in accumulating wealth for themselves but whose passion is to advance the kingdom of God.

6. They raised him for greatness and prepared him for his destiny.

Obadiah may have been born and raised in a humble home and yet he ended up in the king’s court.  His parents trained him thoroughly in every area of his life. They tutored him seriously. They prepared him to be ready for whatever destiny God had planned for him.

God has a destiny planned for each one of your children and whether this task is large or small, it is great in the eyes of God. God has given you the awesome task of preparing them for this purpose. You don’t have to have a big luxurious home to raise great children. You may only have a humble home. You may not even have all the things you think you need for teaching your children. Don’t despair. You have enough when you have God, His power and His powerful Word.

I remember visiting the home in Kentucky where Abraham Lincoln was born. It was a tiny cabin, no bigger than many kitchens today. It had a dirt floor and an open fireplace to cook. But out of this humble abode, a home that would be condemned today, came one of the greatest presidents of the United States.

Lift your vision high. Raise your children for greatness. Encourage them to believe that they can do anything that God gives them to do. They were born to fulfill the purposes of our mighty God. Raise them to believe that nothing is impossible. Give yourself totally to preparing them for their destiny and then stand back and watch what God will do. You will be amazed at where he will take your children to influence this world for God.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh God, I am aware of the mighty task you have given me to train and prepare my children for your purposes. I know I cannot do it on my own, but I thank you that you are with me. Please anoint me mightily for this task. Grant me your wisdom which you have promised to give liberally to those who ask for it. And let me never lose the vision of what I am doing. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION: