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1 Kings 18:1 – 46 Fighting With Fire

by fol CHURCH on June 24, 2020

Having read through yesterday’s passages we can now see that all those miracles God did with Elijah led him to a place where his faith in God’s power was at its peak. Elijah knew he could trust everything God said to Him. He’d been bold enough to speak out the things he’d been given to say and he’d seen God do amazing things but the biggest miracle was just to happen - the encounter with Ahab’s army of false prophets on the top of Mount Carmel.

There’s a real sense that Elijah knew exactly how this was going to play out as we see him poking fun at the Baal worshippers. V.27 - he said, “Shout louder!” Then, “Maybe he’s busy thinking” And again, “Maybe he’s sleeping or away travelling” Some translations suggest that Elijah even teased that perhaps Baal had gone to the loo!

When Elijah stepped up to the plate there is such a sense of anticipation about what God would do that as you read through the account you can’t wait to see how the power of the creator of the universe might be manifest. Still showing off Elijah called for water to be poured over the altar 3 times so that it was absolutely drenched. Then the fire of God fell consuming everything; the sacrifice, the wood and the all the water in the trench. And we know that then the drought ended and Ahab fled on a chariot to Jezreel only to be overtaken by Elijah running under the power of the Holy Spirit.

So how does your faith in God stand after all that? Are you filled with awe and anticipation? Do you want to understand how Elijah was able to walk so closely with God?

Our call is still to believe in a God who can do these things. Elijah had such a strong and powerful faith that he wasn’t troubled by doubt or scepticism. He knew what God could do and he knew that there was only one God who could be trusted. The whole nation of Israel needed to know that it was being delivered from one of the worst regimes in its history and that in the future God would do even more to bring His chosen people back into the fold again.

 

 

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Father God, thank you for your unfailing love. Thank you that You are always prepared to receive us, no matter what distance we have put between ourselves and You. We ask that today You would come upon us again by Your Holy Spirit, refill us with faith and more of Your presence. Amen.

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