Pages

The Lord, he is God!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

In 1Kings 18, Elijah is talking with the people of Israel. At this time they couldn't decide who to follow, Baal or the Lord God. Elijah tells them, to make up their minds and choose. He goes on to explain how they were both going to sacrifice a bull and put no fire to it. They will call upon their god and Elijah will call upon the name of the Lord God. Then they will see whose God is real and all powerful.

 The people cried and cried out to their god asking Him to save them. Please answer us! But there was nothing and the bible records that they limped around the alter that they had made, distraught over the god that they had made.

 Elijah calls out to the Lord and asks that he would make himself known as God over Israel and that he is the one who is able to turn hearts back. That these people would know that he is God on this very day. Verse 38 says, "Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and kicked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, "The Lord he is God; the Lord he is God.""

 Today as I'm writing this my heart knows that the people of Israel at that point in history are by no means the only people who struggled with idolatry. I struggle with idolatry. You struggle with idolatry. When we build something or create something and worship it, it becomes our god or our idol. It is easy to read the words and pages of the bible without applying them. But how much deeper and richer our relationship with Christ becomes when we see ourselves in each story.

Lately I have been stuck in a rut of idolizing self. This isn't an easy thing to be transparent about. But I want this sin gone. I want this idol crushed by the mighty hand of my Lord, who is God. For me this looks like caring way too much about what I look like to others, my physical body, working out, and how to create a better image.

But it fails me every single time. Because I am not god. My body is not my god. My Jesus. He is my God. Worshipping something that is not my God will fail me. Every single time. What do you idolize?

What sin is clinging tightly, making it difficult to see and worship you Savior rightly? It may not be easy to say it out loud- but I pray that you would. 1John 1:7 says, "but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin."

 Let's walk in the light today. I know that when we do, we will see him rightly and will fall on our faces in adoration like the Israelites saying The Lord he is God!

2 comments:

  1. Wow. I am challenged by this, and I will come back and re-read when the kids are in bed. I admire your authenticity.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Praise the Lord Anna! Would love to dialogue about what this looks like for you!

    ReplyDelete