1 Kings 18:27-39 - The hand of God

Scripture:

1 Kings 18:27-39
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."
NASU


Thoughts:

This is certainly the most famous event recorded in the life of Elijah:  his show-down with the priests of the false god Baal.  After allowing them to spend the day trying to coax their god to bring down fire from heaven (verses 27-29), Elijah sets up a dramatic response from God, soaking his altar with water so that there could be no mistake when it caught on fire, that it was not by some sleight of hand by Elijah (verses 34-37).  Then, God delivers (verse 38).

Although God is not so dramatic in our lives these days, He still desires the glory for the work He does in our lives.  He wants us to know that He has worked.

As Christians, we often try to paint God into our circumstances after the fact.  We hone out what we desire, and then try to involve Him.  How much better to wait on Him and allow Him to show His hand!  Then praise can be offered to Him, for what He has clearly done (verse 39).


Prayer:

Lord, it's hard to wait on You, sometimes!  Help me though, to yield to You.  To not seek my own way, and then try and force You into the picture, somehow. 

May I worship and follow You today, in spirit and truth.

Amen

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.