“Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.’”
(1 Kings 17:1)
The first thing we read about Elijah, is that he announces to king Ahab that God will send a severe drought. This will expose the powerlessness of Baal, who was considered the god of fertility and the lord of the dew and the rain. And indeed, for three and a half years not one drop of rain falls.
That is a huge problem, for without rain nothing will grow in Israel.
After a while, both people and animals starve. King Ahab is furious, and he blames Elijah for this disaster. He tries to track him down, even in neighboring countries, but to no avail. It is impossible for Ahab to find the prophet. Then God sends Elijah to the king again. And he goes: “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today” (1 Kings 18:15).
Humanly speaking, this was a perilous undertaking. Elijah risked his life when he went to the king. But he trusted in “the Lord of hosts” and obeyed him unconditionally. Have you ever done something dangerous or difficult? Would you be ready to risk your life if God asked you to?