September 9-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
Psalm 1 Kings 18:16-17, So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?â€
Observe what it is saying.
The evil King Ahab was leading Israel along with his wife Jezebel. A drought was brought about by the Lord and pronounced by the prophet Elijah. Obadiah was an administrator for the king and a faithful follower of God who was asked to find pasture for the king’s animals to graze. While Obadiah was out scouting, he saw Elijah who told Obadiah that he wanted to see the king. So, Obadiah set up the meeting found in this Scripture. Elijah was titled a “troubler of Israel†by the king because Elijah was a devout follower of the Lord who spoke the truth which contradicted Ahab and Jezebel’s evil behavior. Would you welcome the title of “troubler†if it was given for your faithful stance for what is true, good, and right? Those who are faithful may increasingly be considered “troublers†in our growing secular society.
Relate it to your life.
To be a troubler for the Lord is a high compliment.
Do something.
“Father, let me be known as one who totally lives for You even if it’s not the popular way. Amen.â€
September 10-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Kings 18:18-19, “I have not made trouble for Israel,†Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.â€
Observe what it is saying.
Elijah refused to take the blame for the trouble that had fallen on Israel. As a faithful follower of the Lord, he was not the source of the drought though he had pronounced it as judgment upon the nation. Elijah made it clear they had turned their backs on God and worshiped Baal and Asherah, a fertility god and goddess. We find that Ahab’s wife, Queen Jezebel, fed 850 of these false prophets. Evidently, Jezebel thought by doing so, it would help buy her favor with their gods. However, Elijah called for a big showdown between the one true Lord and these false gods to remind the people of Israel who their God was. This story reveals how we can so easily be fooled to follow lesser gods instead of worshiping the glorious, eternal God who has no equal. When we make a substitute to serve a lesser god, we foolishly diminish the quality of our lives many times over.
Relate it to your life.
The choice I make in whom I serve and worship determines the quality of my life for all eternity.
Do something.
“Father, please forgive me when I dumb myself down by choosing the gods of this world. Amen.â€
September 11-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Kings 18:20-21, So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. But the people said nothing.
Observe what it is saying.
Surprisingly, King Ahab listened to Elijah and called the people and the prophets from around the country to assemble on Mt. Carmel with a picturesque view of the Mediterranean Sea. Elijah took the opportunity to preach but went straight to the altar call. The message was coming as a powerful object lesson. Burning with the Lord’s holy passion, Elijah was fed up with the nation’s downward turn into idolatry. He challenged them to make up their minds and choose their God. Evidently, they were trying to worship both. It reminds us of Jesus’ statement, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.†(Matthew 6:24) They had no response. Were they convicted or were they apathetic?
Relate it to your life.
We are continually offered this same challenge. What is our response? Who will we serve?
Do something.
“Father, I choose Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life, the only path to You and eternity. Amen.â€
September 12-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Kings 18:22-24, Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.†Then all the people said, “What you say is good.â€
Observe what it is saying.
Elijah believed he was the only faithful prophet left in the whole country. He would repeat this same thought with God in the next chapter, but God would tell him He had preserved 7,000 who had not defiled themselves with these false gods. Like Elijah, there may be times when we think we are the only ones left who are faithful. As the number of faithful seem to dwindle in our own land, we can rest assured that God always preserves a remnant of faithful people. We can take comfort we are not the only one.
Relate it to your life.
Being faithful to Christ can feel lonely at times which is why we need to stay in fellowship in the church.
Do something.
“Father, preserve my life as one who remains faithful regardless of how dark our world becomes. Amen.â€
September 13-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Kings 18:25-27, Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.†26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!†they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
Observe what it is saying.
Elijah offered the challenge of fire falling from heaven to ignite the sacrifice because fire commonly indicated that God is present. Exodus 19:18 tells of the Lord descending on Mt. Sinai in fire. Thunderstorms were thought to be chariots on which Yahweh and Baal rode. Thunder was said to be their voice and lightning (“fireâ€) their weapons. Since the people associated fire with the gods, Elijah provided this competition to prove the Lord’s existence by sending a direct, visible answer. Fire also represented the coming of the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God given to each believer to empower us to live the Christ-like life. How hot is the fire of Christ burning within me?
Relate it to your life.
As a follower of Christ, I need to welcome the fire of God dwelling within me.
Do something.
“Father, please don’t let me dampen the fire of Your Spirit living within me. Increase the flame! Amen.â€
September 14-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Kings 18:27-29, At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!†he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.†28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
Observe what it is saying.
This is high drama! Elijah is encouraging them to keep at it, even offering excuses of why their god was not answering. They listened to him and shouted louder. They also showed how desperate they were and how evil their religion was as they slashed one another to draw blood. Evidently, they thought they needed to offer themselves as a sacrifice. Then we are given the triple negative result: “No response. No one answered. No one paid attention.†This is the expected result of calling on anyone but the true Lord!
Relate it to your life.
This scene is a picture of how foolish it is for us to chase after any other god but the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do something.
“Father, keep me from choosing other gods (money, power, pleasure, etc.) where I put my trust. Amen.â€
Write out the Scripture.
Psalm 1 Kings 18:16-17, So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?â€
Observe what it is saying.
The evil King Ahab was leading Israel along with his wife Jezebel. A drought was brought about by the Lord and pronounced by the prophet Elijah. Obadiah was an administrator for the king and a faithful follower of God who was asked to find pasture for the king’s animals to graze. While Obadiah was out scouting, he saw Elijah who told Obadiah that he wanted to see the king. So, Obadiah set up the meeting found in this Scripture. Elijah was titled a “troubler of Israel†by the king because Elijah was a devout follower of the Lord who spoke the truth which contradicted Ahab and Jezebel’s evil behavior. Would you welcome the title of “troubler†if it was given for your faithful stance for what is true, good, and right? Those who are faithful may increasingly be considered “troublers†in our growing secular society.
Relate it to your life.
To be a troubler for the Lord is a high compliment.
Do something.
“Father, let me be known as one who totally lives for You even if it’s not the popular way. Amen.â€
September 10-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Kings 18:18-19, “I have not made trouble for Israel,†Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.â€
Observe what it is saying.
Elijah refused to take the blame for the trouble that had fallen on Israel. As a faithful follower of the Lord, he was not the source of the drought though he had pronounced it as judgment upon the nation. Elijah made it clear they had turned their backs on God and worshiped Baal and Asherah, a fertility god and goddess. We find that Ahab’s wife, Queen Jezebel, fed 850 of these false prophets. Evidently, Jezebel thought by doing so, it would help buy her favor with their gods. However, Elijah called for a big showdown between the one true Lord and these false gods to remind the people of Israel who their God was. This story reveals how we can so easily be fooled to follow lesser gods instead of worshiping the glorious, eternal God who has no equal. When we make a substitute to serve a lesser god, we foolishly diminish the quality of our lives many times over.
Relate it to your life.
The choice I make in whom I serve and worship determines the quality of my life for all eternity.
Do something.
“Father, please forgive me when I dumb myself down by choosing the gods of this world. Amen.â€
September 11-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Kings 18:20-21, So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. But the people said nothing.
Observe what it is saying.
Surprisingly, King Ahab listened to Elijah and called the people and the prophets from around the country to assemble on Mt. Carmel with a picturesque view of the Mediterranean Sea. Elijah took the opportunity to preach but went straight to the altar call. The message was coming as a powerful object lesson. Burning with the Lord’s holy passion, Elijah was fed up with the nation’s downward turn into idolatry. He challenged them to make up their minds and choose their God. Evidently, they were trying to worship both. It reminds us of Jesus’ statement, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.†(Matthew 6:24) They had no response. Were they convicted or were they apathetic?
Relate it to your life.
We are continually offered this same challenge. What is our response? Who will we serve?
Do something.
“Father, I choose Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life, the only path to You and eternity. Amen.â€
September 12-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Kings 18:22-24, Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.†Then all the people said, “What you say is good.â€
Observe what it is saying.
Elijah believed he was the only faithful prophet left in the whole country. He would repeat this same thought with God in the next chapter, but God would tell him He had preserved 7,000 who had not defiled themselves with these false gods. Like Elijah, there may be times when we think we are the only ones left who are faithful. As the number of faithful seem to dwindle in our own land, we can rest assured that God always preserves a remnant of faithful people. We can take comfort we are not the only one.
Relate it to your life.
Being faithful to Christ can feel lonely at times which is why we need to stay in fellowship in the church.
Do something.
“Father, preserve my life as one who remains faithful regardless of how dark our world becomes. Amen.â€
September 13-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Kings 18:25-27, Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.†26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!†they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
Observe what it is saying.
Elijah offered the challenge of fire falling from heaven to ignite the sacrifice because fire commonly indicated that God is present. Exodus 19:18 tells of the Lord descending on Mt. Sinai in fire. Thunderstorms were thought to be chariots on which Yahweh and Baal rode. Thunder was said to be their voice and lightning (“fireâ€) their weapons. Since the people associated fire with the gods, Elijah provided this competition to prove the Lord’s existence by sending a direct, visible answer. Fire also represented the coming of the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God given to each believer to empower us to live the Christ-like life. How hot is the fire of Christ burning within me?
Relate it to your life.
As a follower of Christ, I need to welcome the fire of God dwelling within me.
Do something.
“Father, please don’t let me dampen the fire of Your Spirit living within me. Increase the flame! Amen.â€
September 14-Great Chapters of the Bible
Write out the Scripture.
1 Kings 18:27-29, At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!†he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.†28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
Observe what it is saying.
This is high drama! Elijah is encouraging them to keep at it, even offering excuses of why their god was not answering. They listened to him and shouted louder. They also showed how desperate they were and how evil their religion was as they slashed one another to draw blood. Evidently, they thought they needed to offer themselves as a sacrifice. Then we are given the triple negative result: “No response. No one answered. No one paid attention.†This is the expected result of calling on anyone but the true Lord!
Relate it to your life.
This scene is a picture of how foolish it is for us to chase after any other god but the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do something.
“Father, keep me from choosing other gods (money, power, pleasure, etc.) where I put my trust. Amen.â€
Posted in Daily Devotionals