3/8/2011 6:03:55 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: The prophets of
Baal meet the God of Israel
Bible Reading
& Meditation Reference:
1Kings 18:20-40
Message of the verses: “20 So
Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets
together at Mount Carmel.
“21 ¶ Elijah came near to all the
people and said, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the
LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people did not
answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said
to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets
are 450 men. 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." 25 So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal,
"Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and
call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it." 26 Then they took the ox which was given them
and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon
saying, "O Baal, answer us." But there was no voice and no one
answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. 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." 28 So they cried
with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and
lances until the blood gushed out on them. 29
When midday was past, 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. 30 Then Elijah said to all
the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him.
And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones according to the
number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had
come, saying, "Israel shall be your name." 32 So with the stones he built an altar in the
name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold
two measures of seed. 33 Then he
arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. 34 And he said, "Fill four pitchers with
water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood." And he said,
"Do it a second time," and they did it a second time. And he said, "Do
it a third time," and they did it a third time. 35 The water flowed around the altar and he also
filled the trench with water. 36 At the
time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and
said, "O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known
that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these
things at Your word. 37 "Answer me,
O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and
that You have turned their heart back again." 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed
the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the
water that was in the trench. 39 When
all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD,
He is God; the LORD, He is God." 40
Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let
one of them escape." So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to
the brook Kishon, and slew them there.”
This
section of Scripture is very familiar, but it also has great meaning. God was using Elijah to call the people of
Israel back to Him, and according to verse thirty-six what Elijah was doing was
according to the Word of the Lord, for the Lord told Elijah what He was to
do. Even though Elijah was prepared to
do this with his training of the last three years where it was a miracle from
the Lord that he had food to eat, it still took a lot of faith to do what he
did and it also took a lot of courage to accomplish this too, for Elijah’s life
was surely in danger, but as Dr. Wiersbe points out “one with God is a
majority, so the prophet had no fear.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I think that what I learn today or what has
been reinforced is that I too, am to trust in the Word of God, and also the God
of the Word. When making decisions and
living my life this is what I am to do.
My Steps of
Faith for Today:
1.
Trust in the Word of God and the God of the Word.
2.
Trust the Lord to direct my path.
3.
Remember that I am in a battle and in need of the
Spiritual Armor.
4.
Trust the Lord to continue to teach me contentment,
and that I continue to learn contentment.
5.
Give myself to the Lord for worship and service this
day.
6.
Trust the Lord to make my day profitable as I do a
different job today.
3/8/2011 6:21:14 AM
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