3.182 He Went and Did

In Matthew 5, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world, reminding us that our lives are meant to preserve, illuminate, and point others to Him. This season on Savory Salt, we'll walk through the Old Testament, one verse and one thought each day. Perhaps these moments will add greater savor and brighter light to our lives as we seek to truly live as Savory Salt.

Hello, my friends. It's a new day with new opportunities. Choose ye this day whom you will serve.

You ever found yourself feeling like you're totally alone trying to follow the Lord and nobody around you supporting you? I don't know if you've had those moments in your life. I know there's been a few of them in mine.

Not to say that my family hasn't been supportive. It's just that there's times where I felt like I'm just trying to do the best I can. I'm looking for some help.

Well, we are introduced to one of my favorite characters of the Old Testament here. Elijah. And I think Elijah is a stud.

I love his stories. I don't know what it is. As a kid, I loved reading his stories, and I hope I can tell you right now, I'm not going to be able to get to all of his miracles and all the things that happen around him.

I hope to touch on some of the high points, and I hope to introduce him to you in a way that perhaps gives you a little bit of reason to dig into his story because I love his story so much. In 1 Kings 17, we immediately get a sense of who this man is. One, he seems to have this same power that Nephi is given in the Book of Mormon, I should say later on in 3 Nephi, where he has the power to seal in heaven and on earth, it appears, as he promises that there's going to be a famine and a dearth, it's not going to rain.

He perhaps has one of his strongest powers, and it's one that each of us can have in our own lives. It's one of the reasons I love Elijah; he just seems to connect with me for some reason. Let's take a look at our verse for today in 1 Kings 17, Verse 5, and just get this verse that really hits home for me on the basis of where Elijah's power comes from.

Verse 5 says, So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord. For he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. Now, you might be sitting there saying, wait, Allen, I was waiting for like this earth-shattering revelation.

I was waiting for lightning to strike in this moment and to be super inspired. My friends, I think in this time, especially with Elijah's story, and in our day, especially with the world around us, that first sentence there is defining—earth-defining, life-defining for all of us. He went and did according unto the word of the Lord.

He followed the Lord. His obedience was able to bring about incredible miracles. I know that our obedience can do so as well.

In fact, as you read 1 Kings 17, and we get further on into the story, I want you to pay attention and see if you catch that phrase again. Maybe not Elijah doing it, but somebody else in the story in Chapter 17, and see if they go and do according to the word. My friends, obedience is a vital pillar for each one of us.

It opens the door during the roller-coaster times to bring some stability into our lives. I'm so excited to talk more about Elijah. The Bible says that Elijah is a powerhouse at a time when—spoiler alert here, let's just get there, spoiler alert—I was going to wrap it up, but I'll do one more piece here.

Spoiler alert: he's going to get to a stage where he's like, literally, "Nobody is choosing the right but me! What am I supposed to do about that?" And the Lord's going to answer him. My friends, Elijah has been alone before.

Others who have followed our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have been alone before. Pray, seek to feel of their spirit. You will be uplifted and ultimately, at the end of the day, do according to their words, and you will always be blessed.

That is absolutely my testimony on obedience. That is all for today, my friends. More Elijah is coming.

You and I have come here for such a time as this. Step forward in faith, and let's be Savory Salt. We will be here tomorrow, and we hope you are too.