Key events in today’s reading:

• Elijah’s Early Ministry (1 Kings 17)
• Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:16-46)
• The LORD Appears to Elijah (1 Kings 19:9b-18)
• Naboth’s Vineyard (1 Kings 21)
• Elijah Taken Up to Heaven (2 Kings 2)

Verse that stood out: When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

Let’s be honest, all of us can think of some person in our lives that we consider a troubler. Someone whose very presence makes us uncomfortable. Now, there is a good chance that the reason this person causes us such great grief is due to some quality in the other person: they’re rude; they’re crude; they’ve got a bad attitude. In a word, it’s their fault they come across as a troubler.

If we’re not careful, though, we can miss the fact that sometimes the trouble may not be with the one who troubles us, but with us. The only “trouble” with this other person may be that their presence or words expose something that is off in our own souls: our impatience, our selfishness, our own bad attitudes. In this case, it’s our fault that this other person causes us so much trouble. That was certainly the case with Ahab and Elijah. If Ahab had been a good king, he would not have been troubled by the prophet.

So the next time you encounter a troubler, don’t miss the chance to take a moment and reflect on the question, “Is the trouble actually with me?”

For tomorrow:

• Cover to Cover: 1 Kings 15:33 – 2 Kings 4:6
• Key Passage: 1 Kings 18:1-46
• Verse of the Day: 1 Kings 18:36-37