Show Up & Show Off

I remember seeing the Harlem Globe Trotter as a young kid as they performed their magic on the floor. Several years ago I saw them again and Meadowlark Lemon (whom I thought had to be about 80 years old!) hit a half court shot. Their whole routine is about the show. There is not doubt that they have talent for sure and it shows. I love seeing talented people perform, but I don’t appreciate people who try to put others down to make themselves look good.

Elijah had tangled with wicked King Ahab early on and Ahab wanted to find Elijah to kill him, but the Lord hid him. Now the Lord prompts him to go see Ahab for a show down between the Lord God and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. It is a one-sided show down because Baal is not a living and active god. He is a wooden pole, an imaginary god, but Ahab & Jezebel were also worshippers of Baal. So Elijah proposes a contest or showdown of sorts between Baal and Jehovah God. The prophets of Baal are to build an altar and Elijah is to build one as well, but they are not to provide fire. They will call upon Baal & Jehovah God to provide the fire for the offer. The prophets of Baal go first and they start pretty early in the morning and they sing, shout, dance and anything else they can do to try to get Baal’s attention so he will send fire. Then it was Elijah’s turn. He started at the time of the even sacrifice building the altar. He added one little caveat; he poured 12 jars of water on the altar. Check this out….

36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: ‘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. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.’

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The Lord – he is God! The Lord – he is God!’ (1 Kings 18:36-39 NIV)

What a victory for the Lord. He didn’t just show out, He showed off His Power! He made a profound statement of His Power and His Presence. I was reminded this morning that the same God who showed up and showed out on Mt. Carmel is the same God I talk to daily and walk with daily. He longs to show His Power in my life and in the lives of others. I think we often hide Him instead of show Him to others. I want His Light to shine through me. I don’t want it to be a secret that my heart belongs to Him. I don’t want my faith in God to be all talk. I want His Power and His Presence to be easily seen in my life. I want His Presence in me to draw attention to Him and not to me.

Pressing On!

Dwayne