Thoughts from Camp - Day 13 - Elijah Fire

"Seek God until He breaks your heart, and then preach from the bottom of your broken heart." This 

is what I often say to those I mentor. So with seven weeks of speaking, writing devotions and heading up ministry at a summer camp, I anticipate being challenged, stretched and broken as the weeks roll on. Each day I will post some lessons to be learned from the devotions and messages we have studied as a camp.

Elijah prayed that God would turn back the hearts of Israel. That they would recognize that He was the true God. Elijah had challenged the prophets of Baal to a competition - whichever God sent fire was the true victor. Why? Because the Israelites were wavering between opinions. They knew of God, had a Tabernacle and remembered what He did in the days of Joshua. But they also had a wicked king and seemed to prefer worshiping Baal. So Elijah really just wanted them to pick a side.

And here's the climax we all missed hearing about in Sunday School - after fire falls on his sacrifice, he gathers all the prophets of Baal together, and kills them all. Personally hacks them to pieces. Some people would suggest, 'what you believe is right for you, what I believe is right for me.' I'm not sure Elijah was sold on this concept.

And there's a reason for this. A reason why he had to kill them. When Adam broke the law of God, He deserved death. When anyone breaks the law of God, they still deserve death. This hasn't changed since Adam. The prophets had not only denied God, they had turned all of Israel against God. So Elijah, commissioned by God, was giving them what they deserved - giving them justice. Now we don't get to decided who gets to live and who gets to die, that's God's job, but in this case God had given Elijah permission to take some of God's authority.

There's a message in all of this. And that is simply this - as Elijah said, 'If the Lord is God, follow Him.' And if He is not, follow Baal. That is God's call to us. If God is God, follow Him. If He's not, don't waste your time. God's not interested in half-hearted service. He's not interested in people who come to church on Sunday but don't care about Him the rest of the week. He's not interested in people who ask Him into their heart but whose lives aren't changed.

What God is looking for is people who's lives are totally and utterly committed to Him. People who spend their lives in service to Him. Who spend their entire lives seeking to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, strength and mind. This is the kind of service He demands. He's not interested in people who waver between opinions like Israel did.

If God is God, follow Him. If Baal is God, follow Him.

Kevin Deane

Camp Mini-Yo-We

Muskoka, ON