June 16, 2009 Falter Or Follow?
Today’s Bible Reading: 1 Kings 17–19; Colossians 2
Scripture Focus:
1 Kings 18:21 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.
Observation:
Elijah the prophet is introduced with a bang in today’s reading from 1 Kings. The events told in these chapters are staggering, amazing—one righteous man against a nation.
The story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel, in the battle against Baal, is one of my favorites. He asks the people, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God follow Him, but if Baal, follow him.”
Nobody answers Elijah. Everyone is quiet. No one is willing to make a stand. But their actions have already answered the question.
Application:
The question is one I still need to answer today. If God is really God, I should follow him. If he isn’t really God, then I can forget what the Bible says and follow any god of my own making—like the Baals of old.
If I don’t answer this question, the question is answered by my silence—or my actions.
Even if I say yes one day, however, I can act like I don’t really believe it another day. That’s called faltering, vacillating between two opinions.
Prayer:
Father God, I don’t want to be one who falters. I want my actions to proclaim that you are God. I want to follow you!
