Zeal For the Lord

-May 10, 2023-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

“So he said, for I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

(1 Kings 19:10).

Zeal is mentioned 38 times in Scripture. The word zeal is defined as “great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.” Our cause is Christ and our objective is to win souls and build up the saints of God. Zeal cannot be made, mustered, or manufactured by man, it comes from God through our hearts. It is like the intensity of a raging fire; like the torrent of strong, fast moving river; like the sun at its hottest point of a summer’s day.

Elijah had zeal for the Lord, but here in our text in 1 Kings 19:1-18, he had a spiritual meltdown. He had just won a great victory over Baal and all the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Now the devil was attacking him through the threats of the wicked Queen Jezebel who sought to kill him. He fled for his life, and God tracked him down and dealt lovingly and faithfully with him.

Zeal for the Lord should be the norm for every believer young or old. We often describe it as “being on fire for the Lord,” and revival rekindles that fire. Jesus demonstrated zeal when He found the money changers in the temple selling their oxen, sheep, and doves right inside God’s house. Jesus made a whip of cords and drove them out, overturning their tables and all their money. He said to them, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise” (John 2:16)! The very next verse says, “Then the disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house has eaten me up.’” This quote is taken from Psalm 69:9.

When we surrender to the Lord, seek Him and His kingdom and righteousness first, zeal will spring forth from our hearts. It will eat us up. Sin, evil, and wickedness will be intolerable to us. It will bother us, anger us, and upset us. We will love sinners but hate their sin. We will pray with greater urgency and fervency, living completely for our Savior.

The Lord showed Elijah in his day that he wasn’t alone in his love and devotion to the Lord. 1 Kings 19:18 says, “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” The Lord did the same with Paul in Corinth. Acts 18:9 says, “Now the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not remain silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.’” Zeal and boldness go hand in hand.

Let us then be zealous for the Lord, His people, and His Word. Let it eat us up. Have a blessed and zealous day for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Stay safe and healthy.

Zealously living and serving our King,

Dean