PROMISED MUCH - BUT WE DON'T TAKE IT         

            "we be still and take it not" 1 Kings 22:3

                           Edward Proffitt Th.D.

 

The biblical King Ahab at his best wasn't much of a man. Sure he had a handicap, being married to a feminine cyclone named Jezebel. I believe Jezebel would of endangered life and character of the strongest man, so a man as flabby fibered as Ahab had no chance at all.

 

But even Ahab couldn't avoid the folly of his own conduct tin dealing with Ramoth.  He said "Ramoth of Gilead is ours" but though it is "We stand still and take it not" (1 Kings22:3).   Now don't be to hard on Ahab for many are guilty of the same folly, to refuse to claim what is rightfully theirs. That has become very common in Christianity.

 

In Greek Mythology Tantalus was condemned to torture. His torture was to thirst and hunger, he was to have no food or water. Yet, while he was being tortured he had to stand in water to his neck while dangling down before his eyes were the choices of fruits. Tantalus torture was made worse by the presence of what he desired.

 

That seems terrible, but did you know there is a worse torture than that. It is to hunger and thirst because we refuse to claim what is offered. For a person who does not claim what is offered, that person has no one to blame but self.

 

Did you know it is a privilege to live in a land of freedom and opportunity. We have opportunities for health, happiness, peace, education. I believe the opportunities of life in our USA are great. And I believe all a person has to do is have desire and claim and work to that end.

 

Along with that value is the opportunity we have to be CHRISTLIKE. The word optimism is a word that means that all is for the best.  Jesus Christ was a superb optimist and His optimism was born of faith Jesus Christ believed God was unmatched in all mightiness. So great was His faith in God the Father that all His murderers could say as He hung on the cross was "He trusted in God" (Matthew27:43). Jesus believed that God was fully ample for all His needs, and for all the worlds needs.

 

So optimistic was Jesus about mankind that He had a special belief that the kingdom of this world, one day would become the kingdom of God. Jesus believed that every person could become Christlike and would do Christlike work. So strong was that belief He said "He that believeth on me the works I do he shall do also" (John 14:12). So the Question we must ask self is do we believe and are we doing, and what are the treasures that are ours in Christ Jesus?

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For that answer, listen to the answer the Father gave to the prodigal sons older brother "Son, thou art always with me and all that I have is thine" (Luke 15:31). Some how I think the greatest heartache God the Father has is, He wants to give us so much and we claim so little. Gods best is ours, but we will not claim it unless we live up to the standards and claim it "Ramoth in Gilead is ours and we be still and take it not".

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