No Contest
I love a little competition, especially if my team wins or dominates. My son and I played a good bit of ping pong during quarantine. I’m sure that we improved with the competition. If I play someone that I can beat badly every time, I might not improve. One of the things I love about basketball competition is the team sport of it and which team member will step up to help the team win.
Elijah had informed the wicked king Ahab that the Lord wouldn’t send until he (Elijah) told him so. Elijah knew Who sent the rain. Elijah was simply a prophet of God. About four years later, the Lord directed Elijah to go tell Ahab that rain was on its way. The Lord leads Elijah to direct was appears to be a contest between Baal and Almighty God. He invites 450 prophets of Baal and sets up two alters. They are to offer sacrifices and whichever god sends fire from heaven is the true god. Elijah lets the prophets of Baal go first. They set up their sacrifice and then start calling out to their god to bring fire. This goes on all day. Elijah even talks a little smack with them about where their god is and what he’s doing. Finally, it’s Elijah’s turn. He slowly rebuilds the Altar of The Lord. He puts the wood and the bull on the altar. He then does something a bit weird – He calls for buckets of water. He wets down everything. (Everyone knows wet wood doesn’t catch fire easily.) Check this out…
36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”
38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!” (1 Kings 18:36-39 NLT)
Elijah ordered the people to go after the prophets of Baal and cleanse the country of them. There is never a contest when the Lord is involved. He is above any contest. I should never let anything, or anyone compete with my time with the Lord. I need to be in daily pursuit of His heart and keep a close check on the things that have become idols inside my heart. The cool thing is, the Lord will help me discern the things that are drawing my attention away from Him. I don’t why I’m so hard-headed and hard-hearted when it comes to what the Lord wants. I know that He is so patient with me as I navigate the things that catch my attention from Him. I’m learning that nothing or no one compares to the greatness of knowing Him and listening to Him.
Pressing On!
Dwayne