Don’t Shoot The Messenger!

Today’s Reading – 1 Kings 18 & 19

Notice in 1 Kings 18:17

And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

Israel was going through perhaps the toughest time in its early history. They had not had rain in three years, resulting in all of the brooks drying up. There was no grass for the livestock and no food for the people. God judgment was upon the nation. The messenger of God had warned the king that this was going to happen back in 1 Kings 17:1; but as often happens, the king places the blame on the messenger instead of accepting the blame himself.

Why do we get upset with the mailman who delivers the bills? Why do we get mad at the teacher or preacher who delivers to us the Word of God? Sometimes I fee like Paul when he said, Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

The blame for Israel’s problems lay primarily at the feet of Israel’s leader, King Ahab. He had completely forsaken God: he married a woman who hated God and even slaughtered God’s prophets. The solution to the problem was not killing Elijah; but Ahab’s turning back to God.

Through the years, I’ve known many people who have gotten away from God and as a result their lives go downhill: sometimes physically, sometimes financially, sometimes in other ways. Often these folks get mad at the church or the preacher: anything but look within.

I have come to a conclusion in my life: my problems are caused by me. If things are going wrong in my family, I don’t blame the church, the government, my neighbors, or anybody else: I blame the guy I see in the mirror in the morning and I go to God for help in getting the mess cleaned up.

Don’t Shoot the Messenger

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Todays Reading - 1 Kings 22 - 2 Kings 1 In chapter 22 of 2 Kings we see Ahab, the king of Israel; and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah planning together a battle with Ramoth-gilead. Jehoshaphat was a good man and a decent king, and he wanted to make sure that…

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Phil Erickson

Pastor Phil Erickson has been the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church since 2002. Having grown up in Ocean County, Pastor Phil has always had a burden for the south Jersey area. After graduating from Bible College in Longview, Texas, he and his family moved to Galloway Township with the vision of digging in and serving the Lord and the people of Atlantic County. Pastor Phil and Cindy Erickson have been married for 34 years, and have four children and eight grandchildren. His oldest son, Phil Jr., and wife, Katelyn, are serving the Lord at a church in Paradise, TX. His oldest daughter, Melissa, is married to Wesley Clayton who is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in South Carolina. Samantha, his third child is married to Justin Mears and they are both serving the Lord here at the church in Galloway. Hannah is the youngest and is a sophomore at Vision Baptist College while also serving the Lord at Jersey Shore Baptist Church.

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View Comments

Bob Fenton says:

December 9, 2022 at 10:25 am

Amen Pastor. It is so easy to blame other people for your mistakes, but like you said Paster look at the person in the mirror ,the mirror doesn’t lie, what you see in the mirror is what you are and sometimes the people that you are blaming with the things in your life that are going wrong are the people that are trying to help you. Don’t shoot the messenger take the advice and get back to where you started from the Cross . Like the post.