“Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets.” 1 Kings 18:22
Here’s an important life lesson. MORE is not always better.
Quantity (how much you have) is not always a great indicator of quality (how valuable it is).
Our Bible reading from 1 Kings 18 today is a perfect illustration of this important life lesson.
Standing atop Mount Carmel, the prophet Elijah is the only one left speaking on behalf of the Lord. Opposed to him standing on the other side, are 450 (false) prophets of the lowercase “g” the god known as Baal.
To help everyone discern who the “real” God is, it’s decided that a sacrifice should be made, and a fire will need to be started. The only catch is that the fire must be started by the one true God. So, the false prophets (large in number) go first, calling out to their god and asking for help. With all of Israel gathered around watching and wondering how this scene will play out, hoping to discover the truth, the calls from the false prophets to their god, Baal (not surprisingly) go unanswered.
Then, Elijah steps forward. But, before he prays to the LORD for help, he raises the stakes by drenching all of the wood piled in front of him with water. Not just once, but three times! Then, he turns to God (in faith) asking for the truth to be revealed and (no surprise here) God sends flames from heaven to ignite the fire!
A simple reminder for all of us, you don’t need a bunch of stuff that doesn’t work… you just need the one true God who does! Even when you appear to be outnumbered, with God on your side, you’re never outmatched.
Question for reflection:
- What feels watered down in your life today? Pray for God to light a fire in your heart and reveal his power in your life.