Behind the Scenes

Back story: Before Elijah defeated the 450 false prophets of the
false god of Baal, he told wicked King Ahab that God would withhold
rain from the land. God made good on His Word, and the result was a
severe famine.

King Ahab summoned Obadiah (who was in charge of his
palace (and also a devout believer in Jehovah God).

Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the
springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the
horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals”
(1 Kings 18:5 NIV).

They split up, and King Ahab went one way while Obadiah
headed the other direction. Meanwhile, evil Queen Jezebel was busy
killing God’s prophets.

Elijah is thinking he’s the only Jehovah-follower left. The Queen
had already killed so many godly people. The country was in horrible
shape due to the famine, and Elijah knew he’d have to face King
Ahab and take on the 450 prophets of Baal.

But as Obadiah was searching for grass to feed the king’s
animals, Elijah crossed paths with him. Imagine Elijah’s surprise to
discover that while Jezebel was killing off God’s prophets, Obadiah
had taken 100 godly prophets and hidden them in two caves—50 in
each cave. Obadiah had kept them safe and provided them with food
and water in the middle of the famine!

When things looked like they couldn’t get any worse, God was
working quietly behind the scenes.

You may remember the godly priest Eli of Israel. He was the
one who mentored Samuel. Eli had two wicked sons: Hophni and
Phinehas. These two men were serving as temple priests but they
didn’t have a relationship with God. They took advantage of the
people who brought sacrifices, became sexually involved with women
around the temple, and were extremely dishonest.

People wondered why God didn’t do something to stop this
horrific situation. But what they didn’t know was that God was quietly
working behind the scenes. He was allowing the Philistine army to
gain strength. Pushing the fast-forward button, we see that a few
years later, the Philistines defeated the Israelites—and killed
Phinehas and Hophni.

What does this mean for us?
We can know that our God never stops working.
He never sleeps, goes on vacation or puts us on hold.

When our situation seems horrific and we wonder why He
hasn’t moved, it may be that He’s working quietly behind the scenes.
Sometimes we see Him explosively arrive in full detail. Other
times He simply works quietly behind the scenes.

So we can rest in God’s peace. And what kind of peace does
He give? “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart! And
the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. So don’t
be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27 LB).

If you’re facing a wall and wondering why God isn’t moving on
your behalf . . . it could be that He IS, but He’s simply working quietly
behind the scenes right now.
In His perfect timing, He will reveal Himself.
He always does.

Thoughts?