The Lord Indeed is God

1 Kings:18:32-39

“32 with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. 33 Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 Then he said, “Do it a second time”; and they did it a second time. Again he said, “Do it a third time”; and they did it a third time, 35 so that the water ran all around the altar, and filled the trench also with water. 36 At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.”

Ahab, the evil King of Israel, had led the people of Israel astray through the worship of false gods.  Elijah led them back to the one true God.

Paul said that faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  The people of Israel had little faith and it took an act of power to convince them that the God that had led them out of Egypt and into the promised land was indeed real.

What does it take to convince us that God is real, a prayer that is answered, a miracle healing, God’s audible voice?

We are to accept the existence of the one true God on faith.  And on our faith journey maybe our prayers will be answered, maybe someone will be healed, maybe we will hear God’s voice.  But if we do not, God still exists; God is still present and working in the world.

The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)