Monday in Advent

1Verse 1. After a long time, in the third year of the drought, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.” 2Verse 2. So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria, 3Verse 3. and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD, 4Verse 4. for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.) 5Verse 5. Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.” 6Verse 6. So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself. 7Verse 7. Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” 8Verse 8. “It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’” 9Verse 9. But Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death? 10Verse 10. As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you. 11Verse 11. And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’ 12Verse 12. I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth. 13Verse 13. Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD, fifty men per cave, and I provided them with food and water. 14Verse 14. And now you say, ‘Go tell your lord that Elijah is here!’ He will kill me!” 15Verse 15. Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to Ahab today.” 16Verse 16. So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah. 17Verse 17. When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” 18Verse 18. “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.

10Verse 10. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11Verse 11. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12Verse 12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Verse 13. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. 14Verse 14. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, 15Verse 15. and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. 16Verse 16. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Verse 17. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.