 Elijah’s Challenge – Part 2, Lessons from the Silence 2004 : Week 32 | Printer Friendly Version This week we continue with the story of the Elijah and the prophets of Baal. We ended last week’s devotion with the prophets of Baal trying to summon their god by screaming, dancing and cutting themselves in a sacrificial manner. Their madness brought them no response, and the Bible, by using repetition, hammers home the point that they would never get one:
Many people today are in the same situation. Many people worship false gods, and they are as passionate as the prophets of Baal were; they are also as wrong as the prophets of Baal were. Some people worship Allah or Buddha, and others worship alcohol, drugs, pride, money and more, but none of these has an answer for them. In the end, they will find that
1) It doesn’t matter how many people believe a lie; in the end, it’s still a lie. The hundreds of prophets of Baal, and Baal’s many other followers, learned this the hard way. 2) God, not people, creates truth: ‘Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’ (John 14:6) Jesus Christ is truth; everything else is just someone’s opinion. There is no truth in Baal. 3) Elijah’s faith and obedience to God should be an example for us. Despite the danger he faced, he confronted hundreds of people at God’s command. 4) Like Elijah, Sometimes we must stand alone for God. In those times, even in the face of incredible opposition, we should have faith and confidence; our confidence comes from our knowledge of who God is. He will be with us in the storm; we never walk alone when we walk with God. 5) How lonely life must be, for those who pray to false gods:
Thank God today if you’re not one of the lost dancing before Baal or some other false deity. God has redeemed you, and you should be eternally grateful. The God who worked so greatly in the life of Elijah is the same God at work in your life. For those of you worshipping other gods, Yahweh has just called you home. Maybe you’ve heard it before but never cared. Maybe this is the first time you’ve heard it; the Almighty God is waiting to have fellowship with you. He wants to heal you and grant you eternal life. I pray you will heed His loving invitation to you. Set aside your nonsensical distractions. Quit dancing with the lost, in their parade of fools. Jesus Christ awaits you, and unlike false gods, Jesus, will answer you with truth, love, hope and with life ever lasting. Our God is not silent, because our God is alive. May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you today and always… **Words of Jesus in red  Printer Friendly Version Archives | Tell Your Friends | Submit a Devotion |
 1 Kings 18: 19, 23-24, 27, 29 (NASB) 19 “Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Caramel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 23 ”Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. 24 “Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.” 27 It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” 29 It came about when midday was past, that they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention. • Read Chapter • Listen to Chapter |
