All Fired Up
Rise up from the influence of false idols around you. Rise and burn them to the ground.
"Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit."
-- James 5:17-18, NKJV
Elijah was just a genuine guy with "a nature like ours" with flesh and blood and a lot of weaknesses. Elijah would run away from his problems, and he had a terrible attitude from time to time. And you might think, how can a man like this be used of God so mightily? You may wonder the same thing about your own life. So, let's look at the prophet.
1. Be for real.
Elijah wasn't trying to be like anyone else. Despite his weaknesses, he did not stop serving God. When you know who you are, you will serve God through your triumphs and your tailspins. You will serve the Kingdom with your talents, experiences, and personality. When you mess up, you get up, and you keep following after God's heart.
2. Do radical things.
Elijah caused a drought just by commanding it. And get this – he said it would happen "according to my word." Elijah did radical things because, as God's chosen guy, he had confidence that the Lord would back him if he were aiming to glorify God. You and I have faults. But our failures should not be the evidence we base our confidence on; God's faithfulness is Exhibit A. His power and perfection are where we must ground our faith. Faith doesn't work according to our human perception.
Faith is not feeling-based and
should not be emotionally driven.
Rise and discover that you have more of God in you than you may realize. When those obstacles come, and you start feeling the pressure, let it squeeze you. Pressure brings the truth to the surface. The breakthrough is there.
3. Set the Spotlight on God
In one of the most dramatic scenes in the Bible, Elijah challenges over 800 false gods to a miracle showdown. I'll paraphrase --
"We will each try to call on our god, and whichever power can bring fire from heaven setting the altar ablaze is the true God."
So, one by one, they dance around, chanting, doing what they can to convince their favorite idol to start a fire. Crickets. Nothing.
"Hey, maybe your little god is asleep," Elijah mocked, "Maybe he's going potty.” (I'm not making that up. Look at
1 Kings 18:27). When it was Elijah's turn, he wanted the pagans to have no doubts about the power of the Lord. So, he made the contest more “challenging. “
Elijah rebuilds the altar, gets a fresh offering, and pours water all over it. A wet altar would be harder to light, right? Elijah calls on God, fire shoots down from heaven and consumes the altar, and destroys 850 false prophets in the process. Elijah intended to set the stage for God to show His power. In doing so, Israel returned to the feet of God. No matter the prophet's weaknesses, his desire was to bring glory to the Lord. And he did.
You can overcome the lies that try to set themselves up as truth when you
seek to glorify God,
have the faith to break out of your comfort zone,
get honest about your struggles, and
stay true to your Maker's design for your life.
Rise up from the influence of false idols around you. Rise and burn them to the ground.
Father God,
Bring healing and deliverance to my family. Give me fresh strength, and let Your Spirit's fire burn in me. Thank you for the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Lord, have your way in my life as I serve You.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
