Who Needs Me?

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading titled Who Needs Me was written by Mike Whitmer. While on a red-eye flight to Washington, D.C., opinion writer Arthur Brooks overheard an elderly woman whisper to her husband, It's not true that no one needs you anymore.

The man murmured something about wishing he were dead, and his wife replied, Oh, stop saying that. When the flight ended, Brooks turned around and immediately recognized the man. He was a world-famous hero.

Other passengers shook his hand, and the pilot thanked him for the courage he displayed decades ago. How had this giant sunk into despair? The prophet Elijah bravely and single-handedly defeated 450 prophets of Baal, or so he thought. Yet he hadn't really done it alone. God was there all along. But later, feeling all alone, he asked God to take his life. God lifted Elijah's spirits by bringing him into his presence and giving him new people to serve. God said in 1 Kings 19 that Elijah must go and anoint Hazael king over Aram, Jehu king over Israel, and Elijah to succeed you as prophet.

Invigorated with renewed purpose, Elijah found and mentored his successor. Your great victories may lie in the rear-view mirror. You may feel your life has peaked or that it never did. No matter. Look around. The battles may seem smaller, the stakes less profound, but there are still others who need you. Serve them well for Jesus' sake, and it will count.

They're your purpose, the reason you're still here. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 Kings chapter 19 verses 9 through 12 and 15 through 18. And the word of the Lord came to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied, I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword.

I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too. The Lord said, Go out and stand in the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

And after the fire came a gentle whisper. And now verses 15 through 18, The Lord said to him, Go back the way you came, and go to the desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram, also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elijah son of Shaphat from Abel Mahola to succeed you as prophet.

Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal, and whose mouths have not kissed him. Let's pray. Father God, thank you for reminding us that we are always useful to you, whether we are accomplishing big things or just seemingly small tasks. Nothing goes unnoticed by you, and nothing is insignificant. Give us new opportunities to be used by you, and help us to be completely satisfied in you. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.