Standing Alone (Kind of!)

If you think the Bible is boring, you haven't heard the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel!  It is among one of the most exciting stories in the Bible and the topic for Camp Character last week.  You can read the story in 1 Kings 18.  Elijah calls for a contest between the One True God (his God) and Baal, the god of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.  Elijah calls them to meet on Mount Carmel along with the 450 prophets of Baal.  They were to kill two bulls, put them on wood to prepare them to be sacrificed, but not light the sacrifice.  They would each take a turn calling on their god to light the sacrifice. 

Being the gentleman he was, Elijah let the prophets of Baal go first.  They called, they pleaded, they begged all day long for Baal to call down fire to consume the bull.  No answer.  Elijah teases them, “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” Still nothing.

It is now Elijah's turn.  Before he calls out to God, he does something that probably seemed very odd to King Ahab and his followers.  He set up 12 stones around the sacrifice.  He then poured 12 buckets of water on the sacrifice.  (Didn't Elijah know that wet wood a good fire does not make?)  Oh, but he DID know!  He was going to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that his god was the one true God and could not only light the sacrifice but do it under impossible circumstances.  And God did not fail him.  After Elijah prayed to God, fire fell from heaven and not only burned the sacrifice but licked up the water too!  Everyone that day knew without a doubt who was the One, True God!

There may be times when you feel like you are standing alone, but you can know that if God is on your side, you are more powerful than a vast army.  Be willing to stand for what you know is right even if your friends are: 

• smoking
• drinking
• mouthing off to their parents
• sniffing paint
• cutting themselves
• bullying
• shoplifting

How about YOU?  Have you made the decision to believe in God?  Elijah told the prophets of Baal and the people there that they had to decide.  Were they going to keep worshiping a god that didn't exist, or were they going to worship the One True God?  Each one of them had to make their own personal decision.  And so do each of us.  What have YOU decided? 

(If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord of your life, you can follow the steps on the right side of this page.  Then tell someone!!)