Weak-Minded vs the Weak

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

WEAK-MINDED VS THE WEAK

1 Kings 18:16-24

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" 18 "I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the LORD's commands and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." 20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. 22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 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." Then all the people said, "What you say is good."

NIV

Isn’t it interesting that the one who has done more evil in the eyes of the LORD than all before him calls Elijah, the troubler of Israel? It is obvious that Ahab was lying, for Elijah was a man of God, spoke the word of the LORD, and responded with the truth that Ahab and his family were the troublers of Israel. We are just about at the confrontation between Elijah and the four hundred and fifty so-called prophets of Baal. It does seem strange that they are called prophets when, according to the Hebrew word, a prophet is an inspired man. How can any of them be inspired by a god who has no ears to hear, eyes to see, or a mouth to inspire them? The showdown is about to begin, and all those who worship Baal are against the one who worships the LORD. Will Baal answer? No! Will the LORD answer? Always! This challenge still holds true today. Those who worship the world will never get any answers for their quest. They will always end up doomed to destruction, judged according to the evil they do in the eyes of the Lord. Those of us who worship the Lord God Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth, the giver of life, will always be answered, because God has ears to hear, eyes to see, and a mouth to speak into our hearts and minds. Years ago, a former governor of Minnesota, although a decorated former Navy SEAL, said that Organized Religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people.  He was speaking about Christianity, our faith in Almighty God. The truth be told, those who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and their Lord and Savior, must be thoughtful and deep thinkers, understanding the depth of the word of God. There can be no weak minds among true believers. However, those who reject the word reject God and serve any god they can manufacture, such as those who came up with Baal and Asherah. False gods are nothing more than a figment of man’s imagination. We will watch the weak-minded try to stir Baal to consume their offering with fire, and we will see one man of God ask Him, and everything will be consumed by fire. There is a major difference between the weak-minded and the weak, or the meek, the humble, because when we are weak, He is strong. Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians, "When I am weak, then I am strong."