So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow Him. But the people didn’t answer him a word.     1 Kings 18:20-21 CSB

I am sure if I asked that many of you would tell me that you only worship the One True God. Is the One True God the only God you worship or do you have other gods that you also worship. There was a time in my life when I would have said that too, but I would have been lying. I worshiped other things also. I worshiped my work. There were times that my job came before my commitment to Christ. Now let me clarify this. There were times when I was called in to work on a Sunday, but that was rare occasions and certain emergency type situations. But there were other times that I would go into the office and spend my Saturday and Sunday there because it was quiet, and I could get a lot of work done. But the funny thing is God never honored that. I would get so much work done, but then my Monday would be so chaotic that it would just all pile up again. I soon realized this wasn’t working. But when I decided to go in on Saturday only and get what I could done and go to church on Sunday, then I would have an unusually calm and quiet Monday and was able to get a lot done.

I also worshiped my sinful habits. I had some sin going on in my life that I thought God would just overlook. Boy was I ever wrong about that. I also had a little self-worship going on. I would convince I needed to spend Sunday on the sofa vegging out and watching movies when I had a hard week. God didn’t honor that either. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said for all who were weary and burdened to come to Him and He would give them rest. I learned that I had a much better week if I got up and went to church on Sunday.

There are all other types of gods we can worship. We can worship hobbies or possessions and spend time on them that should be spent on Jesus. But the thing is there is nothing these hobbies, jobs, movies or possessions can do for us. They can’t give us rest (Matthew 11:28). They can’t make our crooked paths straight (Isaiah 45:2). They can’t comfort us when we mourn (Matthew 5:4). They can’t give us peace (Philippians 4:7) and they certainly can’t provide salvation (John 14:6).

In our Scripture passage, the prophet Elijah was about to prove this to the Israelites. The Israelites had strayed from God and was worshiping a bunch of false gods. Elijah proposed a test. The Baal worshipers would erect an altar of wood and place a bull upon the altar for a burnt offering. They would not light a fire, instead they would call upon their gods to light this fire. They called and they called again. They danced and even cut themselves with knives and spears, but still nothing.

Elijah also erected an altar and placed a bull on it. But he went a few steps further. He dug a trench around his altar and poured not one, but four water pots filled with water on the altar. He repeated this action twice more and there was so much water it even filled the trenches. When Elijah spoke to God and asked Him to let it be known that He is God, a miracle took place. God sent fire down to consume the offering, the wood, the stones and the dust and licked up the water in the trench.

My friend if you are worshiping a false god, know that you are breaking the One True God’s heart. In Elijah’s case, Elijah asked for fire and God rained it down. But the fire that rains down on our disobedience will not be anything we would ever ask for or want.

We need to understand that God is merciful and gracious, but He is also just. Our sins will not go unpunished. Our disobedience will not go unpunished. If you are worshiping anyone or anything that is getting in the way of your worshiping and praising God, you need to let it go. Turn to the One True God today. Worship Him and Him only. You will be so glad you did.

Have a great day!