And Ahab had called Obadiah who was in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly. For so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets, hidden them, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water.” 1 Kings 18: 3-4.
You are getting noticed. Add me to Your LinkedIn account. See who viewed your profile.
If you are on LinkedIn, you have undoubtedly come across those phrases.
About a month ago, we trained on “how to build a solid LinkedIn profile and a strong personal (professional) brand.”
We are so thankful for that training.
The training set us thinking of how the LinkedIn profile of some of the heroes of faith would look. Or would they even have a LinkedIn account?
What would those heroes write in their ‘intro’ section? If you read their ‘about’ section, would you even consider them for a job? Would you find them worthy of your ‘likes’, ‘reply’ or ‘mention’?
I’m writing this not to undermine LinkedIn in any way, nor the training we got, which was superb.
I am writing this just to say that most heroes of the faith would not make the honor roll of any university. They would not be looked upon as candidates for a six-figure job, or any job for that matter.
And yet, those men and women changed history.
While we, during the pandemic, spend a lot of time on social media trying to boost our brand and keep ourselves busy and safe, those men and women had a different agenda.
While we thank God for our safety during the pandemic, for having a roof over our heads and having enough to eat, other men and women risk their lives to feed many during a famine.
I am speaking about Obadiah.
Can you imagine what Obadiah would have written in his intro on LinkedIn?
Obadiah | Servant | Prophet hider | Prophesied against Edom
Obadiah, who was working with the most influential man at that time, Ahab and the most notorious woman who ever lived, Jezebel, did not content himself with being safe and fed during the famine.
No one would have blamed Obadiah if he had merely thanked God for his safety and the security of his family. After all, there was a famine. Most of the cattle had died, all agriculture was history. People died from hunger and pestilence.
However, Obadiah decided to hide one hundred prophets in two caves, and feed them bread and water. Bread and water when there was a famine and food was scarce? Bread and water when it had not rained for three years, and no one knew for certain when this drought would end? Yes. Hadn’t Obadiah considered that maybe he would not have enough to feed himself and his family?
Obadiah went out of his comfort zone, risking his very life for ministry.
I’m sure Obadiah pondered hundreds of times: what would happen to him and his entire family if Ahab or Jezebel found out that their own servant was betraying them? And for what? To save the very prophets they were trying to slaughter: the prophets of Jehovah.
Thousands of years later, we still read about what Obadiah did. Why? because he went out of his comfort zone, he gave sacrificially and followed Matthew 6:1-5.
I pray for myself and all of you that we will follow Obadiah’s example and find ways to be proactive in ministry even if it feels uncomfortable.
I pray that we will all be sensitive to the Spirit of God and discern His leading and be obedient to His prompting.
Wahid and Laila Wahba
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