And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. 1 Kings 18:21
The wicked king Ahab along with his just as wicked wife, Jezebel had been worshiping false gods and leading the people astray with their idolatry. It was so bad that God had the prophet Elijah pronounce a drought over the land. Ahab, still not willing to see that the problem is not Elijah but him and the others who were practicing such abominations before the Lord with him, accuses Elijah of being the source of Israel’s troubles. It’s always easier to blame someone else for the result of sin and bad decisions rather than owning up to them, and Ahab is certainly no exception.
But, it’s time to put this misconception to rest and settle the matter, so Elijah calls for the people of Israel to be gathered together along with the false prophets of Baal and Asherah. This is where Elijah delivers his challenge to God’s people; do not waver between two opinions — either the Lord is the Lord or He isn’t!
Next, we come to the big showdown where the Lord demonstrates His absolute power and authority as He answers Elijah’s prayer with fire. The false gods never showed up to help their false prophets, but the Lord was there with Elijah for everyone to see. Now, suddenly the vacillation is gone and the people are declaring, “The Lord, He is God”. Contrast that with what they had to say earlier when Elijah challenged them — they didn’t say a word then. No declaration of God’s lordship, not a word.
It is easy to declare that Jesus is Lord when you have just witnessed the Lord moving in your life or in the life of a loved one in a mighty way. Again, if you are in the midst of God’s people and everyone is proclaiming the praises of God, it is a small step to join right in with the crowd. And, in times of crisis, it just comes naturally to turn to the Lord for help and to even make commitments to Him in that moment that may be just as quickly forgotten once the crisis has past.
But, what if the crowd all around you is worshiping false gods? What if you find yourself in an environment where the worship of false gods is considered normal but the worship of Jesus as Lord is considered out of touch with modern society?
What if you are waiting for the Lord to answer a prayer but so far you see nothing happening? When you first started praying, you boldly proclaimed that God was Lord of that situation and He could and would answer your prayer. But now, here you are still waiting.
To experience the fullness of the blessing of Jesus’ lordship in your life, He must be Lord of your life. Not just Lord when it is easy or necessary or popular, He must be Lord on Monday just like He is on Sunday. He has to be Lord before that prayer is answered just as He is when you have the answer. If Jesus is going to be Lord at all then He has to be Lord of all!
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