Just a man

I had a lot of help with this week’s column. I had asked in a Facebook post, “what’s your favorite Bible verse?” I got a bunch of responses, and I wanted to share some this week. If you don’t have a favorite verse today I want to encourage you to find one. It’s not one that will be your favorite for your whole life probably, many people I know have different favorite verses at different times in their life. That’s ok  I think it’s important though because it helps ground you, encourage you, and keep you balanced…and if anybody ever asks what your favorite verse is you have an answer!
Here are some the of the social media responses I got to that question:
• Debbie & Barbara- Proverbs 3:3-6
• Allison- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
• John- Isaiah 40:31
• Heather- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 & 1 Peter 5:8
• Scott- John 3:17
• Rhonda, Patsy, Robert, Carl & Carla- Philippians 4:13
• Lisa- Matthew 7:7
• Ronnie- Psalm 23
• Patsy- Philippians 4:11
• Kyle- Ephesians 3:20-21
• Karen- I John 4:21
• Cindy- Isaiah 41:10
• Diann- Matthew 11:28-30 & Zephaniah 3:17
• Kelly- Jeremiah 29:11
• Joe- Exodus 14:14
• Robyn- Psalm 46:10
• Jerry- Luke 9:23
• Conner- Ephesians 4:32
• Amber- 1 Peter 1:8 & 1 Peter 5:6-7
• Carla- Psalm 19:1-4
• Julie- Luke 18:8
• Michael- 2 Corinthians 5:17
• Lisa- James 1:5

Take this week and read these verses. See if you can memorize a few of them and pray for the person who submitted them.
I would say that my favorite verse for my life right now is Romans 12:2. It says “don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is—what is good and pleasing and mature” (CEB).
But as I was reading in the book of James last week I came across a verse that is my new favorite right now. I am pretty sure it’s always been in the Bible, but I never really read or noticed it the way that I did when reading recently. The verse is James 5:17. Now, James has some really great practical advice on day-to-day living, right-living as a result of right-faith. But James 5:17 says this: “Elijah was a person just like us”.  Wow, right!!
OK, so maybe you were thinking that my new favorite verse would be a little more interesting, maybe a little more profound. But this one is pretty profound if you think about it for a minute. Let me help get the verse in context with a little Elijah perspective:
• Elijah shows up in the Old Testament as a prophet of God to challenge King Ahab
• Elijah prophesied that a severe drought would come to Israel
• Elijah is fed by ravens to keep him from starving
• Elijah is used by God in a miracle to provide food for a widow and her son
• Elijah confronts all the pagan priests on Mt Carmel to a divine show-down
• Mentored Elisha to succeed him
• He was taken to be with the Lord without dying by means of a fiery chariot
Wow. What a life! Elijah was THE MAN! He was so good and holy. We could never measure up to Elijah. We could never be as good or as holy as Elijah. We do that with those Old Testament prophets don’t we?  (And sometimes we do it with friends, family members, or even –Lord help us—preachers). Whether it’s Elijah, Moses, Joseph, Sampson, Abraham, Jeremiah, Job, Hannah, Sarah, Gideon, or even King David, the man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), we think of them in regards to the miracles and epic faith. For sure, these men and women are examples to us! But not every part of their life, they made mistakes too (lots of them)!
Elijah was just a man. A man that even after seeing God’s miraculous provisions, even after hearing God speak to him, even after seeing God show up in mighty and profound ways, even after all this---he was a man who once hid in a cave out of fear and depression. Of course it’s not just Elijah, all the others listed above had their past, and their past regrets.
Just like you, and just like me. And just like Elijah. Just like Elijah you can experience times where you are humble and willing and can be used by God in mighty ways. Just like Elijah you can have times where you are scared and down and hiding in cave.
But here’s the Good News: Jesus came to offer forgiveness of sins, eternal life in the presence of God, and the freedom and strength to live our lives here on this earth growing in holiness and maturing in faith and grace. And the same God that Elijah prayed to and heard from, is the same God you are praying to and hearing from.
Just remember: “the prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve” (James 5:16b), not because of the one praying the prayer, but because of the One hearing and responding to the prayer.
If you would like to share your favorite Bible verse with me or if there is something I can pray with you about let me know at: m-vaughn@comcast.net.