Elijah’s country was in trouble.

King Ahab thought the prophet was the cause of it all.

Actually, the wicked king was the guilty one. He had led the people in idolatry and had forsaken God’s commandments. The drought announced by Elijah was but the natural consequence of the nation’s sin. The famine in the land was directly traceable to the waywardness of the people. Israel was experiencing the law of sowing and reaping: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Godly people are often thought of as troublemakers. They speak out against evils and seem not to fit in with many modern trends. They may seem out of step with the times … unwilling to compromise proven standards. Dogmatic. Old fashioned.

Never mind. Convictions based on the Bible should be held even though they disturb others. God rewards righteousness and judges sin. His standards are unchanging because He is always the same.

Sin brings chastening… produces heartache… invites trouble. And no amount of rationalizing can change sin’s wages. It is impossible to sin and win: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

America needs some troublemakers… the righteous kind. We need people who will stand for truth and decency in spite of what others say.

May God raise up some troublemakers to keep the nation out of trouble!