In 1 Kings 18, we see that Israel was at a crossroads. They had lost their awe of God. To them, He was a million miles away. They still claimed to follow Jehovah, but He was no longer a part of their daily lives. God knew that only a vivid reminder of His power would awaken these people from their spiritual sleep. So God used Elijah to bring about a turning point in their lives. In today’s devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef looks at Elijah’s powerful confrontation with the pagan prophets.
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[00:00:00] You are listening to My Devotional, the daily devotional from Dr. Michael Youssef and Leading
[00:00:06] the Way.
[00:00:08] Facing a Crossroads by Dr. Michael Youssef
[00:00:13] In 1 Kings 18, we see that Israel was at a crossroads.
[00:00:18] They had lost their awe of God.
[00:00:20] To them, He was a million miles away.
[00:00:23] They still claimed to follow Jehovah, but He was no longer a part of their daily lives.
[00:00:27] God knew that only a vivid reminder of His power would awaken these people from their
[00:00:33] spiritual sleep, so God used Elijah to bring about a turning point in their lives.
[00:00:38] With the odds stacked against him, one man standing against hundreds of pagan leaders, Elijah showed
[00:00:45] the strength of God.
[00:00:47] In 1 Kings 18, 22-39, the people watched a strange competition.
[00:00:54] 2 Bull Sacrifices on Two Separate Piles of Wood
[00:00:59] Who would be able to supernaturally light the fire?
[00:01:04] Baal or God?
[00:01:06] Elijah, in full confidence of God's faithfulness, watched as the 850 pagan prophets tried to arouse
[00:01:14] their false god from his slumber.
[00:01:16] For hours and hours, the pagans danced around the altar, cried out to Baal, and even cut themselves
[00:01:23] with swords.
[00:01:25] Then Elijah stepped forward.
[00:01:28] Elijah looked at God's altar, which had been neglected by the people, and carefully repaired
[00:01:34] it with twelve stones, representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
[00:01:38] Then he drenched the firewood with water to show that what was about to happen would be a miracle
[00:01:45] from God and not a trick on his part.
[00:01:49] As God set the wood ablaze, the people of Israel finally came to their senses.
[00:01:55] When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried,
[00:02:00] The Lord, He is God.
[00:02:03] The Lord, He is God.
[00:02:07] We have the resurrection power of Jesus Christ to build a fire within us, to cleanse and purify
[00:02:15] us.
[00:02:16] When we face a crossroads in our spiritual walk, we can always turn to God for the right direction.
[00:02:24] Let's pray together.
[00:02:25] Father, thank you for Elijah's courage to stand up against the pagan leaders.
[00:02:31] We pray that you would help us to make the right choice when faced with a crossroads.
[00:02:37] We pray this in the name of Jesus.
[00:02:39] Amen.
[00:02:41] If today's devotional encouraged you, we'd love to hear about it.
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[00:02:50] My devotional is a ministry of Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef.
[00:02:54] To learn more, visit ltw.org today.