Fire and Water
Have you ever wanted to prove a point so much that it just ate you up inside? More than anything, you have this driving conviction to shut up the critics and will go to any lengths to accomplish that goal?
Elijah was there!! He was frustrated with the continual disregard of God by King Ahab and for that matter, the Israelites as well. He had heard enough slander against the name of God that he knew it was time to act and he wanted to make a point. A BIG point!
We read of the account in 1Kings 18.16-40. It is a story of conflict, testing, retribution, trash-talking, and even of blood and guts in the end. Here are the highlights:
1. Eljiah calls out Ahab and his prophets and calls them to a “spiritual” duel.
2. TASK: Call down fire from your god and consume the wood on your altar.
3. Prophets of Baal couldn’t do it. Elijah told them to “scream louder, perhaps he is asleep.”
4. After a day of chanting and slashing of wrists, Elijah stops the Baal madness and turns the audiences attention to God.
5. He calls for the altar of God to be restored and filled with and unbelievable amount of water (a prized possession in that time of drought and famine).
6. Elijah prayed a simple, yet powerful prayer. RESULT: God sent down fire from Heaven that consumed both the wood and the water. That’s one HOT fire!!!
7. The people fell on their faces and praised God.
8. Elijah ordered that the prophets of Baal be captured and then he slaughtered them all.
Lesson to the story:
1. God is and always will be, the most powerful God! More powerful than money, self, pleasure, power, etc.
2. God will always, eventually, make Himself known. It might not be immediate, but when our attention moves FROM Him to something else, He WILL get it back!
Questions:
–Who are you serving today?
–From what/whom do you draw your power (money, success, family, job, etc)?
–What will it take for God to get your attention?
–What can you do to turn the hearts of others BACK to God?
