Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, was 25 years old when he became the next king of Judah. He behaved in ways that were pleasing to the Lord, removing pagan shrines and breaking the bronze serpent to which God’s people were offering sacrifices. (2 Kings 18:1-4). He repaired the Temple and reopened its doors, calling his country to return to the Lord in submission, coming to his Temple and worshiping the Lord God.

“For if you return to the Lord, your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you.” – 2 Chronicles 30:9

Hezekiah trusted in the Lord and remained faithful in everything he did, carefully obeying all the commands the Lord had given Moses. Hezekiah brought back the celebration of Passover and required his people to tithe so they would devote themselves fully to the Law of the Lord (2 Chron. 31:4). And here’s the good part – So the Lord was with him and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did (2 Kings 18:7).

In this way, King Hezekiah handled the distribution throughout all Judah, doing what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God WHOLEHEARTEDLY. As a result, he was very successful. – 2 Chron. 31:20-21

Oh the blessings God bestows on those who faithfully obey Him! He longs to generously pour out His love on His people when they follow Him in obedience. Do you recognize the many ways in which God is blessing your obedience? The evidence that He cares for you is all around – do you see it?

“Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care – but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” – Isaiah 1:3

I wonder how often I fail to recognize God’s blessings in my life – His care for me. As I eagerly anticipate the Thanksgiving Holiday, I long to wrap my mind around how incredible God is toward me DAILY! My prayer is that this week gets our attention; that we are able to recognize God’s favor and His care and that our hearts will respond in sincere thanksgiving toward our Creator, Provider and Friend.

“I will praise you, O Lord!
You were angry with me, but not anymore. Now you comfort me.
See, God has come to save me.
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The Lord God is my strength and my song, he has given me victory.”

With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!
In that wonderful day you will sing:
“Thank the Lord! Praise his name!
Tell the nations what he has done.
Let them know how mighty he is!
Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things.
Make known his praise around the world.
Let the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy!
For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.” – Isaiah 12:1-6

O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God.
You do such wonderful things!
You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them…
“This is our God!
We trusted in him, and he saved us!
This is the Lord, in whom we trusted.
Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!” – Isaiah 25:1,9

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal rock…
For those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough.
You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them.
Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws;
Our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.
All night long I search for you;
In the morning I earnestly seek for God. – Isaiah 26:3-4,7-9a

I love that last verse. It describes how I wake up in the morning – with a longing to hear from God. He is so faithful to meet us when we turn to Him!

Oh Lord, this morning, I recognize that every good and wonderful thing in my life is a gift from you! Thank you so much for your tender care of me. When I am scared or lonely, you comfort me. When I am happy, it is because you have filled me with your joy. As I start a new day, I trust in you for what is ahead. You are my eternal rock and I long to fix my thoughts on you and stay there. The road ahead is unknown but I believe the way will not be steep or rough, for you will smooth out the path ahead for me. Glory to God in the Highest! Praise His Name!!!

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem 16 years. HE did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, as his ancestor David had done…Because of all this, the Lord his God allowed the king of Aram to defeat Ahaz and to exile large numbers of his people to Damascus. The armies of the king of Israel also defeated Ahaz and inflicted many casualties on his army…At that time King Ahaz of Judah asked the king of Assyria for help…Even during this time of trouble, King Ahaz continued to reject the Lord (2 Chronicles 28:1,5,16,22).

But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God’s instructions and teachings! – Isaiah 8:19b-20a

It was during this time in Judah’s history that God called the prophet Isaiah to speak His message loud and clear – You can depend on God and it is foolishness to trust in anything or anyone else but God! That sounds like a great message for us today.

Don’t put your trust in mere humans.
They are as frail as breath. What good are they? – Isaiah 2:22

The horrible time that Judah was experiencing was a consequence of its own sin. They needed the reminder that we serve a God who is able to break the power of sin and help us survive the mess we have made. When we look around and trouble surrounds us, when all we can see is the result of bad decisions and sinful actions, we can know that our God is there to guide us out of the predicament we have found ourselves in. The secret – surrender and trust in God so that we can experience the grace that rescues God’s people from the consequences of their sins.

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord.
Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.
If you will only obey me…” – Isaiah 1:18-19a

God’s grace and mercy are calling out to us. He is eager to wash us clean and restore our relationship with Him. So what keeps us from running back into His arms? Why do we turn to other people or to other solutions for help when our Creator and loving Father is beckoning us? Is it pride? Do we struggle to find the humility needed to repent of our sins?

Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled.
Only the Lord will be exalted on the day of judgment.
For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has a day of reckoning.
He will punish the proud and mighty and bring down everything that is exalted…
Human pride will be humbled and human arrogance will be brought down.
Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment. – Isaiah 2:11-12,17

The Lord sent Isaiah to King Ahaz when Ahaz and the people were trembling with fear. He had this message for the king: Stop worrying. You do not need to fear the fierce anger of other nations. But unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm (Isaiah 7:2-9).

God said: “Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want – as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.”

Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? All right then, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt and honey. For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted.” – Isaiah 7:11-16

Do you need a sign from God? Do you need confirmation that your God is trustworthy and wants to restore you? Are you trembling with fear and in need of faith so that God can help you stand firm against what you are facing? Look – the sign you are seeking is in His Son, Jesus Christ. He sent His Son to die on a cross so that we could be restored!

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” – Isaiah 2:3b

Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life.
He is the One you should fear.
He is the One who should make you tremble.
He will keep you safe…

May this be our testimony today, no matter what we are facing:
I will wait for the Lord…I will put my hope in him. – Isaiah 8:13-14a,17

The history of God’s people at this time displays their fickle hearts. They would worship God for a time and then go back to their selfish, evil ways. They would turn their hearts to God but not wholeheartedly. They would keep things in their life that would cause them to be distracted and disloyal. This pattern led to the eventual decline and exile of the people of Israel, as well as the destruction of Jerusalem.

Elisha sent a young prophet to anoint Jehu the next king of Israel. The call God had on Jehu’s life was to destroy the family of Ahab. Jehu accomplished what God had commanded him to do, also destroying every trace of Baal worship from Israel, but he did not destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan. Jehu did not obey the Law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with ALL his heart. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit (2 Kings 10:31).

King Jehoahaz did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and experienced the result of God’s anger. He prayed for the Lord’s help and the Lord heard his prayer. The Lord rescued Israel from their enemies and allowed them to live in peace again. BUT they continued to sin during the reign of King Jehoahaz and the next king – Jehoash. So God allowed the king of Aram to oppress Israel. But the Lord was gracious and merciful to the people of Israel, and they were not totally destroyed. He pitied them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (2 Kings 13:23).

It was during the reign of King Jehoahaz that Israel and Judah went to battle against one another again- brother against brother. After his death, King Jehoahaz’s son, Jeroboam II, ruled over Israel and King Amaziah’s 16-year-old son, Uzziah, ruled over Judah. Jeroboam II did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord (14:24) but Uzziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight except that he did not destroy ALL the pagan shrines, leaving opportunity for the nation to once more sin against God (15:4).

The fate of Israel:
Zechariah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, refusing to turn away from sin. Shallum became the next king of Israel until he was assassinated by Menahem, who also did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. His son, Pekahiah, followed in his father’s evil footsteps and was assassinated by the son of the Commander of his army, Pekah. Pekah reigned for 20 years, until he was assassinated by Hoshea, who reigned for nine years until he was captured and imprisoned by the king of Assyria.

This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against eh Lord their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharoah, the king of Egypt…The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the Lord their God…Yes, they worshiped idols, despite the Lord’s specific and repeated warnings.

Again and again the Lord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah…But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised al his warnings. They worship worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves (2 Kings 17:7-15).

Because of their idolatry and rejection of God’s covenant, the Lord swept them away from his presence. He punished them by handing them over to their enemies, banishing Israel from the presence of the Lord. So Israel was exiled from the Promised Land to the land of Assyria (17:23).

God made it clear generation after generation – “Do not worship any other gods or bow before them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them. But worship only the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to him alone and offer sacrifices only to him. Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that he wrote for you. You must not worship other gods. Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods. You must worship only the Lord your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies.” – 2 Kings 17:35b-39

Lord, would you please reveal anything I have kept in my life that is becoming a distraction from serving you with my whole heart? Shine your light on any traces of disloyalty or fickleness in my life. Fill my heart with the strong desire to obey and serve you wholeheartedly. Reveal anything in my life today that has taken priority over my covenant relationship with you.

Lord, I long to serve you with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with all my mind. I long to dwell in your presence and worship you – the God who has brought me out of my Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Today, I choose to worship you and only you! Amen.

The king of Aram had great admiration for the commander of his army, Naaman, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But although Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy (2 Kings 5:1). Even though God was doing great things through Naaman, even though Naaman was a mighty warrior, there was still something in his life that he was suffering with – something he needed God to heal in order to be whole.

The king sent Naaman to Elisha for healing and Elisha sent a messenger out to Naaman with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”

But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers in Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage (2 Kings 5:11-12).

How do we react when God tells us to do something we do not want to do?
Are there times when pride gets in the way of following God’s instructions?
What is my response when God answers my prayers but in a different way that I thought He would?

Naaman’s officers reasoned with him and Naaman went down to the muddy waters of the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, just as the man of God had instructed him. His skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child and he was healed! – (5:13-14)

This story reminds me of our own stubborn behavior. We want God to heal us or to make us whole but we have a preconceived idea of how He should do that. What God desires is obedience and complete surrender to whatever He tells us to do – for physical healing or spiritual cleansing.

Let’s dip into the words of King David as he asked God to cleanse him from his unrighteousness after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Let’s allow Psalm 51 to wash over us in complete surrender to the God who heals and makes us whole again. Perhaps God is doing mighty things in your life and through your life, but you need Him today to remind you that you have been forgiven and He has washed you clean.

Dip #1: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

Dip #2: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.

Dip #3: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Against you and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

Dip #4: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Oh give me back my joy again; you have broken me – now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.

Dip #5: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit with within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

Dip #6: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you.

Dip #7: Create in me a clean heart, O God. You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repent heart, O God.

“Go in peace,” Elisha said. So Naaman started home again (2 Kings 5:19).

Elijah knew God was about to take him to heaven and so he asked his assistant Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” Without hesitation, Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double portion of your spirit and become your successor” (2 Kings 2:9). In other words, I want what you have! Elisha had been watching God work in a mighty way through Elijah and he desired for God to use him in the same way. And that is exactly what God did.

Elisha asked for a double portion of the Spirit and he was able to do miraculous things:

Just as Elijah had done, Elisha was able to part the waters of the Jordan River by striking it and walk across on dry land (2:14).

Elisha came to the city of Jericho, which did not have a clean water source, causing death and infertility as well as the land to be unproductive affecting their food supply. Elisha placed salt in the water supply and healed the water, breathing new life into the town (2:19-21).

Elisha heard from the Lord and told the Kings of Israel, Judah and Edom that God would provide water for their men and animals, as well as victory over the King of Moab. By having a double portion of the Spirit, Elisha was able to enter God’s presence and hear from God. God spoke through Elisha (3:15-18).

There was a widow of one of the prophets whose sons were about to be sold as slaves in order to repay her debt. Elisha was able to take the only thing she had left, a flask of olive oil, and make it a source of income for her by filling every available jar in the village with olive oil. By doing this, God provided for the widow and her two sons (4:1-7).

Elisha wanted to thank a woman who had been kind to him and provided him with a place to stay. He inquired as to what she needed and found out that she did not have a son. Elisha prophesied, “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms,” and that is exactly what happened (4:8-17).

When that same boy died and his mother grieved heavily, Elisha was able to stretch himself out across the child and bring him back to life (4:18-35).

When poisonous fruit was mistakenly added to a stew being prepared for the prophets during a time of famine, Elisha was able to add flour to the stew and heal it so that the group would have something to eat (4:38-41).

During this same time of famine, Elisha was able to bless a sack of bread and have it feed a large group of people with food leftover – sounds familiar doesn’t it? (4:42-44)

When Naaman, the commander of the Aramean army, was struck with leprosy, Elisha instructed him to dip himself in the Jordan River seven times and Naaman was healed. Through his healing, Naaman came to believe in the one true God (5:1-15).

Elisha was able to retrieve a borrowed ax head that had fallen into the River by breaking a stick and throwing it in where the ax head had landed, causing it to float to the surface. To us that may seem like a small miracle but to the man who would have been unable to repay the one from whom he had borrowed the ax head, it was huge (6:1-7).

Elisha was able to save the Israelite army from ambush time and time again by revealing to them where the Aramean army was waiting to attack them. When the king sent his troops to seize Elisha, he was able to speak the word and the entire Aramean army was blinded. At the same time, he was able to speak the word and allow his servant to see the heavenly troops and chariots of fire surrounding them to protect them from their enemy (6:8-18).

So what stops us from asking God for a double portion of His Spirit so that God can use us in a mighty way in the lives of those around us? With the Spirit in our lives, dry ground can be walked upon, water can be healed, God can be heard, needs can be provided, wombs can be filled, the dead can be raised, the hungry can be fed, the sick can be healed, the lost can be found and enemies can be defeated.

I know I need a double portion of His Spirit just to make it through a full day of responsibilities, patience with my children, wisdom to make godly decisions, and the fruit of the Spirit to bear fruit through my life – but I want to do more than just make it through my day, I want to be used by God in a powerful way through the infilling of His Spirit. Today this is what I am going to ask of God – May I have a double portion please? Dear God, I want what you have!

“…the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chron. 20:15b). As I read through the accounts of the Kings of Judah and Israel, it is encouraging to me how often God fought the battle for His people. All they had to do was position themselves – committed fully to Him – and sit back and watch the victory.

When Judah realized that they were being attacked from the front and the rear, they cried out to the Lord for help. Then the priests blew the trumpets, and the men of Judah began to shout. At the sound of their battle cry, GOD DEFEATED Jeroboam and all Israel and routed them before Abijah and the army of Judah (2 Chronicles 13:14-15).

This is what the Lord says, “Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them…But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” – 2 Chron. 20:15b-17).

But the Israelite army looked like two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramean forces that filled the countryside! Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says: The Arameans have said, ‘The Lord is a god of the hills and not of the plains.’ So I will defeat this army for you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

The two armies camped opposite each other for seven days, and on the seventh day the battle began. The Israelites killed 100,000 Aramean foot soldiers in one day. The rest fled into the town of Aphek, but the wall fell on them and killed another 27,000. – (1 Kings 20:27b-30a).

Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army and besieged Samaria. As a result, there was a great famine in the city…

So at twilight they set out for the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there! For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. “The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!” they cried to one another. So they panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys and everything else, as they fled for their lives…
(2 Kings 6:24-25a; 7:3-7).

In the 39th year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord’s help but turned only to his physicians. So he died in the 41st year of his reign (2 Chron. 16:12-13).

You may face a giant battle ahead of you, but the Lord says, “Do not be afraid! Stand still and watch the Lord’s victory.”

You may feel outnumbered, but the Lord says, “I will defeat this army for you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

You may have lost all hope but the Lord can cause the enemy to panic and run – The Lord can provide for your needs.

You may be fighting a battle against disease or sickness – do not rely ONLY on physicians but seek the Lord’s help as well.

And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us! (1 Samuel 17:47).

The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord (Proverbs 21:31).

Position yourself, sit back and watch the victory!

Through Elijah’s life, we see that we serve the God who provides and the God who strengthens. As we look at what happened after Elijah faced off with the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, we see that he once again is in need of God’s providence and strength.

Ahab’s wife Jezebel was very unhappy when she heard the prophets of Baal were dead and she vowed to kill Elijah. Elijah ran in fear from his enemy, becoming so discouraged he prayed that he might die. But God provided once more for Elijah – He provided sleep, food and water. Then He provided strength saying, “Get up and eat some more, for the journey ahead of you will be too much for you” (1 Kings 19:7b).

“The journey ahead will be too much for you.” Take notice that God did not spare Elijah the journey but strengthened him for what was ahead, a journey that would take 40 days and 40 nights. His destination: the mountain of God. God was about to provide one more thing for Elijah – HIS PRESENCE.

When Elijah arrived, God asked him a very important question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah was seeking God and God gave Elijah the opportunity to say exactly what he wanted God to do for him. Then God gave Elijah the most precious of gifts – TIME IN HIS PRESENCE.

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave (1 Kings 19:11-13).

And now, as Elijah stood in His presence, God asked once more, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And for the second time, Elijah answered, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty…and now they are trying to kill me, too.” This reminds me of the many times I have complained to God that I am going through a difficult time in spite of the fact that I have served Him. I have in essence whined to God unnecessarily. God knows our heart and He knows when we have been faithful and when we have not. He does not always spare us the journey but He is always willing to strengthen us for what is ahead.

2 Chronicles 16:9 – The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.

I encourage you today to find time to enter into His presence. Imagine God asking you, “What are you doing here?” What will you say? What do you want the God Who Provides and the God Who Strengthens to do for you today? It’s time for me to finish my morning coffee and do the same.

“O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone” (2 Chron. 14:11a).

The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him…whenever they were in trouble and turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him…Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul…They earnestly sought after God, and they found him (2 Chron. 15:2,4,12,15).

By the time we get to 1 Kings 18, Israel has experienced three years of drought. The drought has now caused famine – as was the situation with the widow God used to provide for Elijah. The people of Israel were running out of food and at a point where they were ready for some relief from someone. This was part of their problem. They weren’t just looking for relief from God. They were looking to other sources than the God who provides.

Looking to other sources than the God who provides – that sounds like something we are guilty of at times. Perhaps we can benefit from what happened on Mount Carmel:

So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent (1 Kings 18:20-21).

Just as we sometimes are, the people of Israel were pulled between the things of this world and the One True God. Right before their eyes, a battle ensued between the false prophets of Baal and the prophet Elijah. Each side had everything they needed to prepare a sacrifice – everything but the fire they were to ask their god to provide. As the prophets of Baal tried hard to produce something from a false god unable to give them what they needed, Elijah mocked them with humor:

“You’ll have to shout louder for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be awakened!” – (18:27)

I think it is time for us to be awakened! There is a battle ensuing before our eyes – a battle between serving a world that daily lies to us, saying it has everything we need to find true happiness vs. serving the God who is able to provide everything we need. We need to see the ridiculous humor of trusting in the world for what we need. We need to see God respond in a powerful way as the people of Israel did and then we need to respond as they did.

Now, as you read this, remember they were at the end of three years of drought. Water was in short supply and used sparingly, yet Elijah asked for water to be poured over his offering and the wood. They used so much water that it ran around the altar and even filled the trench. Then Elijah called upon the God who had provided for him over and over again. Elijah prayed with confidence that his God would provide again (18:30-37).

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! 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!” – (18:38-39)

God, I lay my life before you as a sacrifice. My God who provides, please send fire down from heaven to burn up my sacrifice along with the wood (the things of this world I use to try and start my own fire), the stones (the heavy burdens), and the dust in my life (the corners of my life that need cleansed). All of the “water” or things of this world that I have depended on for sustenance lick up and leave me with only the living water that comes from you. Rain down on me. Show me even a small cloud in my life today as evidence that you are about to end the drought. Amen.

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!”
So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.
Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”
The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”
Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”
Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!”
And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel (1 Kings 18:41-46).

I pray you see “the small cloud” today – evidence that the drought is over and God is pleased with your sacrifice.