Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” 1 Kings 17:1
One thing that becomes abundantly clear as we study Scripture is that God hates idol worship. As the supreme creator of the world and the one true God, worshiping anything else as a god is offensive to Him. Only He deserves our supreme worship and affection. Furthermore, scripture teaches that idolatry is not only offensive to God and hinders our relationship with Him, but it will always leave us empty and unfulfilled. After all, all of our idols are no match for God. He is greater than any idol we may have placed in our lives.
When God observed all of the idolatry happening in 1 Kings 17, He decided to make His power known to Israel. He instructed the prophet, Elijah, to go to Ahab, the King of Israel, and issue this statement, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” (verse 1). In other words, God was going to show just how powerful He was. He was in control of the rain, not Baal, who, among other things, was worshiped as a god of the rain. Baal was no match for God, and everything happened just as Elijah said. God continued to prove His power throughout this story. Because Elijah was faithful to God and condemning idol worship, God provided Elijah a stream to drink water from and instructed ravens to bring him food. God honored Elijah’s faithfulness to Him.
Now don’t just blow by this point because it is important. Elijah was sustained by a brook and birds that dropped him food. This is not a quick trip to the grocery store or a fast-food joint. God was making a way out of the impossible. This further establishes God’s power in Elijah’s story.
The truth is, just like the idol Baal could not compete with the One True God, none of the idols we place in our lives can either. The people, possessions, positions, and everything else that we may idolize are powerless compared to Him. He is the one who is ultimately in control. Therefore, we have to daily look to God to supply our needs.
Do you ever wonder why you’re never satisfied with earthly things? We always want the latest gadget, the newest shoes, new cars, bigger houses, but something inside is never content with these things. They leave us wanting more. God is the only One who can satisfy. The feelings of emptiness our idols leave us with are a reminder that God is bigger than any of the idols we have in our lives. Spend a few moments to think about the idols you have placed in your life. Name them each, confessing them to God. After acknowledging and confessing your idols, make a list of all of the ways God is bigger. This list will aid you in loosening your grip and letting go of these idols.
1 Kings 17:1-6 (NLT)
Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”
Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”
So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook.
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