Choose Today Whom You Will Serve

Life is full of decisions, but the most important decision we make is this: what god will you serve?  And not making a decision about that question is in itself making a decision. We all worship something: money, fame, beauty, success, power, family, food, or God.  When we put anything we are doing in front of what God is doing, it becomes an idol.  In 1 Kings 18, Elijah presents Israel with a question, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”   Elijah proposes a challenge in which the 450 prophets of Baal would offer a sacrifice to Baal and then Elijah would offer a sacrifice to Jehovah.  Then Elijah said, "Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”

Sometimes, it is difficult to see God at work in our lives and circumstances.  Beth Moore tells a story about a time she was in a crowded airport and an elderly gentleman with really long grey, matted hair and long fingernails was seated in a wheelchair near her.  She said she felt in her heart that God was telling her of all thing to brush the man's hair.  It is not something she wanted to do, but after arguing silently with God about not even having a hair brush, she got up and went to the man and said, "Sir, could I have the honor of brushing your hair?" Because he was deaf, she had to repeat the question loudly a couple of times, which got everyone's attention.  He indicated that would be fine and told her he had a brush in his bag.  She pulled out the brush and she said the love of the Lord just filled her and she thought, "I can brush hair.  I had two daughters." Gently and slowly, she begins to brush the tangled hair, working through the matts until his hair was smooth and shiny.  After she finished, the gentleman said, "Thank you.  I was worried what my bride would think, but now it will be ok."  He had been in the hospital for months and hadn't seen his wife for a long time.  He didn't want to return home looking a mess. 

After hearing this story, God impressed on me that not only does he love us enough to know the number of hairs on our head, he cares whether they are brushed.  And he can use us to do the brushing for others when we are obedient.

The prophets of Baal spent hours imploring, pleading with their god to answer by fire.  They danced and cut themselves but to no available.  Then Elijah prayed and God answered by fire, immediately consuming the sacrifice, even though it had been drenched with water.  And not only did the fire consume the sacrifice, it consumed the alter, the stones, the water, and even the dust around the alter. 

Do the choices we make demonstrate our commitment to God?  Have we chosen Him above all others?  Or have we made gods of money, fame, popularity, beauty? Choose today whom you will serve, and then serve with all your might. 

In Him,
Pastor Boyd

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