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“And Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you go limping between two different opinions?  If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.”  I Kings 18:21 (ESV)

Choices…choices…choices.  From the moment we wake in the morning choices begin to roll.  We make a decision to get out of bed.  Part of that choice is what time we get up.  We choose what we are going to wear to work.  We decide what’s for breakfast.  We choose to shower, brush our teeth, etc.  I think we all get the picture.  And we haven’t even left our home yet. Some of those decisions were no brainers – simple everyday tasks we perform on command.  Other choices were intentional and required thought.  Some choices are definitely easier than others, but for people who struggle to make any decisions all choices are heavy weights.

Totally landed there myself on many occasions.  One pivotal wavering moment in my early adult years could have easily landed me in a wrong direction.  One foot was in step with the world and one foot was in step with God. Needless to say, I wavered constantly. My allegiance was divided on every angle. Decisions were ever hard to make.  Why?  Because I knew the truth; I just wasn’t choosing to live it.

Sounds a lot like the Israelites who found themselves entertaining allegiance to Baal.  Dangling loosely in the world’s culture and gods versus standing firm in devotion to their God.  Elijah doesn’t sugarcoat his knowledge of their limping, double-minded opinions.  I Kings 18 unfolds the showdown of Baal versus God at Mount Carmel.  Elijah’s game plan was strategic to disclose who was the one, true God. Two bulls were slain and laid on separate altars.  “You call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord and the God who answers by fire he is God,” commanded Elijah to the prophets of Baal.

Now these Baal followers probably thought the win would be a no-brainer.  Their god was known as presiding over fire. An easy feat for sure; however, despite calling on Baal to consume the altar nothing happened.  No response or fire descended from their god.  Calmly Elijah invited the people to draw near.  Purposefully, he took twelve stones (one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel) and built the altar. Placing the wood and bull strategically on the altar, Elijah instructed the altar to be doused three times in water.

“Answer me, O Lord, answer me that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back,” echoed Elijah.  And God didn’t disappoint; He consumed the entire altar with fire (bull, stones, dust and water).  End result, the people fell on their faces and proclaimed the Lord is God. The limping back and forth transitioned into confident trust in the one true God.

Sweet friends, if we find ourselves attempting to cling to the world and to our God, we will be consumed with unrest.  No one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).  The struggle is real and one will always outweigh the other even if we never intended to move in that direction.  Let’s guard our hearts against allowing other gods to drift in and steal our allegiance.  Let’s choose today who we will serve and cling to our One True God!

“Father, help us to intentionally choose to follow hard after You.  Believing and trusting in You day by day.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life