Hidden Believers
Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 19:9-18
“I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal …”
1 Kings 19:18
Elijah was burned out. After confronting the prophets of Baal and winning a great victory, Elijah had thought Ahab’s pitiful kingdom would totter and fall. Not so. Instead, he had to run for his life. (See 1 Kings 18:16-19:9.) Elijah fled to Mount Horeb (Sinai), and there, standing before God, he cried out, “I am the only one left.”
Really? God helped him do the math. The Lord had seven thousand people in Israel who had not bowed to Baal.
Our near-sightedness can get in the way of seeing the far scope of God’s work in the world today. For example, did you know there are more than 12 million Christians in the Middle East? Every few years, I am privileged to meet with Christians from all over the Middle East who gather for fellowship and ministry planning. This is what they say to me: “We are forgotten by our brothers and sisters around the world.” One of my promises to them is to let fellow believers know that they exist, and to encourage prayers on their behalf.
How can we mobilize our resources of prayer and support to encourage their witness in the very part of the world where Christianity was born? Remember our brothers and sisters in the Middle East!
Lord, forgive our tendencies to ignore people we cannot see. Unite us by your Spirit with Christians in countries we might think are empty of the church’s presence. We know that you love them too. Amen.
About the author — Bob Heerspink
Dr. Robert Heerspink was director of Back to God Ministries International from 2006 until 2011, when he passed away. He had previously pastored several Christian Reformed churches. Bob loved to write and was a frequent contributor to the Today devotional.
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