Friday 10 June 2016

Time to choose

So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. 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. – 1 Kings 18.20-21

The people of Israel want the best of both worlds. They wanted to follow the Lord, but they had a hard time giving up their worship of Baal. I guess they wanted to have all their bases covered so they were ‘safe either way.’ They kept jumping back and forth – ‘God, no Baal, no wait, God, no – Baal.’

Elijah had enough. ‘How long are you going to waver back and forth between God and Baal. If the Lord is your God, follow Him. If Baal is your god, follow him.’ And the people said nothing.

Elijah drew the proverbial line in the sand. It is the same line Joshua drew when he said ‘choose you this day whom you will serve. If you don’t want to serve the Lord serve those pagan gods on the other side of the river.’ Jesus drew the same line as well when He said ‘you cannot serve God and your stuff.’

It is way too easy to get caught in the trap of, as Elijah was translated in the King James, ‘halt between two opinions.’ A lot of Christians, and I think all of us at times, are in that position. We really, really, REALLY want to serve God. But then we also really, really, REALLY don’t want to give up our sins.

So we are stuck in the middle. Unable to do either well.

So we have a choice. If we are going to serve God we need to do it. If we are going to serve the world, then we need to just quit playing the game and do it.

Paul gave us the challenge – ‘I beseech you therefore brethren that you submit your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.’

This is a lifetime challenge. But is it also something we need to ask ourselves everyday. Who are we going to serve today?

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