Holy Fire

³⁷ Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” ³⁸ Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹ Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” - 1 Kings 18:37-39

     Elijah's Mount Carmel showdown has now reached the climax. After the prophets of Baal have screamed and yelled and cut themselves all day with no results, Elijah calmly prays to the Lord. The point I want to emphasize today is another very simple truth. In verse thirty-seven, Elijah prays for the Lord to hear his prayer and show Himself mighty to the people of Israel. The next phrase is humbling, a little bit shocking, and amazing, all at the same time. Elijah also asks God to answer his prayer so that the people may know that the Lord has turned their hearts back to Him. It is through the grace and power of the Lord that we worship and serve. It is not from any special effort on our part. We are constantly drawn away by our fleshly desires. God often needs to send some fire from heaven to wake us up. We fail to see Him and follow Him in the daily monotony. We want signs and wonders before we follow Him. Israel was sidetracked and blinded by idols. God had to work a miracle in their lives. It was not from Israel's desire to turn back to God. It was not from the effort or prophesying of Elijah. The thing that turned Israel back to God, was God himself. It is mind-boggling to think that God not only pursued me and saved me while I was reveling in sin, but He also continues to pursue me and turn me back to Him. May I keep my heart more in tune with God and His will so that He does not have to send the Holy fire to get me back on track.