The people of Israel had forsaken the Lord, following the leading of King Ahab, who was noted as more wicked than all Israel’s kings who had ruled before him. The Lord brought judgment through a sever famine, and the land was absent of rain for three years. Following this time of despair, God called Elijah to demonstrate His power; to remove all question regarding who was in charge of the rain; to remove all question regarding who alone was the One and Only True God. Ahab brought all the people of Israel, along with the prophets of Baal, to Mount Carmel. Prior to the great contest between Elijah and these false prophets, Elijah challenged the people. “’How long will you go on limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ And the people did not answer him a word” (1 Kings 18.21). They said they were of Israel; they claimed their history of God’s working to bring them out of Egypt and into the land of promise. However, they bowed their knee to Baal; they followed a false god who could do nothing for them; they placed themselves in submission to what was not, ignoring Him Who Is. It was decision time. They were challenged to make a choice; they could not continue claiming both the Lord and Baal, following whoever was most convenient for them at any given time.
Limping between two, we cannot be fully committed to either; vacillating between idolatry and allegiance to the True and Holy God only results in confusion. If we are not worshipping the Lord alone, we are not worshiping Him at all; shuffling between two will always result in idolatry. We do not need a contest to prove who is true. We clearly know and have seen the demonstration of God’s sovereignty and power throughout Scriptures; we know our Lord to be the One and Only True God, our Savior, only speaking truth. Forsaking all false gods, may we be fully committed to following the Lord alone.
Following God, our true Savior – we have much to be thankful for –
Terry Burlingame
My Morning Desk 