THE 13th OF FEBRUARY
THE LORD GOD IS THE TRUE GOD, THE CREATOR OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE
Then 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 seahs of seed… 36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. – 1 Kings 18:32, 36-38
Because he knew that God was with him, the prophet Elijah had the courage to ask the king to gather the people of Israel, the 450 prophets of Baal, and the 400 prophets of Asherah on Mount Carmel. We do not know why there is not more information about Asherah’s prophets, but we do know that Baal’s prophets did everything in their power to persuade their god to bring down fire from heaven, to burn their sacrifice, and of course, they received nothing.
The prophet Elijah honored God, restored the altar of the Lord that was broken down and with 12 stones he built an altar for the sacrifice. Elijah laid the wood and the animal for the sacrifice and then asked the people to pour water over the sacrifice, wood and altar, three times. They poured water until it completely filled the ditch around the altar. Then Elijah prayed to God to bring down fire from heaven so that the people could see that He was the only true God, and the Lord heard Elijah’s prayer. “The fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood, and even the stones and the dust; it also licked up the water in the trench” (1 Kings 18:38), proving unequivocally that only God could send such a fire. Then in verse 39 we read that: “when all the people saw it, they fell face down; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!’”
The people of Israel had been so blinded by worshiping the pagan gods that they forgot the miracles that God had done for their nation. They needed a new miracle to see the truth and be willing to repent and give up on their idols. It is amazing how much patience God has! He loves us so much that He continues to give us grace and opportunities to come to Him. But the sooner we do it, the better it is for us and for those around us. On the other hand, let us not forget that whenever one refuses the voice of the Holy Spirit over and over, their heart becomes hardened and they can get to where they can no longer hear His call to repentance and end up in eternal damnation.
SUGGESTED PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to have a soft heart and to allow You to change it. To be sensitive to every correction You have for me and act accordingly. Please help me to never forget the miracles You have done for me and to have a thankful and grateful heart towards You. You deserve all the worship, all the honor and adoration, now and forever more. Amen
Source: thetruthstandsforever
