“You can never go where God is not.” ~Max Lucado My pastor once gave a sermon inspired by 1 Kings 18, which tells the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel. At that time, there was trouble in the land of Israel. An assemblage of people had abandoned God’s commandments and began to follow Baal, making Elijah the last prophet in the Lord’s corner, whereas Baal had four-hundred and fifty prophets. Elijah thought it time to challenge Baal’s followers and show them what God was made of. He commanded Ahab to gather all of the Baal prophets at Mount Carmel. Once everyone arrived, Elijah ordered that two bulls be brought to them, one for Baal’s followers, and one for Elijah. Each was instructed to prepare their bulls, place them on their respective altars, and not set fire to them. Both had to call on their gods and the one who answered by setting fire to the bull would be named God. The followers of Baal agreed to Elijah’s terms. Once they prepared their bull, they called on Baal from morning until the afternoon with no answer. They shouted to their god until the late evening, when they finally decided to give up. Then, Elijah prepared the Lord’s altar with the bull in pieces on the wood. He poured a large amount of water on the offering until it overflowed from the altar. Then, Elijah cried out to God: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again” (1 Kings 36-37). Immediately, fire fell from the sky, burnt up the sacrifice, wood, stones, soil, and even the water in the trench. After that, the prophets of Baal turned to God. It’s an incredible story of God’s power, truth, and authority. It reminds us that He is the One True God, but more than that, it tells us something about what He can do with our failures. We’re all human and have probably missed the mark more times than we can count. Sometimes, we screw up so big that our lives and circumstances seem irredeemable. Have you ever been there? As if the mess you’ve made can’t be cleaned up no matter what you do? I’ve been there before, but this story taught me that no matter where we are or what we’ve done in life, God can use us for His purpose. I think this was partially Elijah’s goal in pouring water on the offering. Elijah put something over the offering which guaranteed fire wouldn’t be set to it. Yet, God was still able to do something powerful and seemingly impossible with the water on the bull. Likewise, we can make messes of our lives by “pouring water” on the parts of ourselves we offer up to God. Maybe you gossip, pouring water on the encouragement and positive talk that could otherwise come from your mouth. Maybe you found yourself entangled in the chains of gambling, thus pouring water on your financial life which could otherwise bring glory to God. Perhaps you’re caught in a toxic relationship, thus pouring water on the opportunity for a more positive relationship to spark. Whatever the case, the story of Elijah proves that God can bring glory and honor to even the most seemingly irredeemable messes we’ve made. No matter how many gallons of water we pour onto our lives, God meets us with a raging fire. To me, this is the greatest comfort of all. I keep this knowledge close when I continuously fall short of what God has planned for me. No matter what we’ve done in the past, what we do in the present, or what we will do in the future, God never stops in His pursuit of our hearts. He never disqualifies us. Rather, He takes the disqualified and qualifies them for His plan. Offer your water up to God and He will meet you with His raging and redemptive fire. Questions for Reflection
Photocred: Unsplash
2 Comments
Jessica
8/19/2021 04:15:33 pm
Amen to this! Thank you for sharing. I thought (sometimes still think) that I couldn't be fixed after being in a toxic relationship for five years, that I didn't deserve anything better than that, but God is showing me how he plans to heal me from it and that if I put in the effort then I WILL find better, and He will help me. God bless!
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Mikayla Briggs
8/22/2021 08:53:50 am
Jessica, I'm so glad to hear that God has been working His healing powers in your life! Praise Him! I think a lot of people can relate to what you have been through too. You are not alone! It's easy to get caught in patterns of toxicity and convince ourselves that's all we deserve.
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