June 7, 2016

WHO IS TROUBLING WHO?

1 Kings 18:17-18 (3 Kingdoms 18:17-18 LXX)

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Are you the one who is troubling Israel?" Elijah answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but rather you and the house of your father, in that you forsook the Lord your God and followed after the Baals.

Personal Challenge

We live in a period of history that is not all that different than the days of Ahab and Elijah. A nation of people had been set apart by God and blessed for their willingness and desire to follow and obey Him. Then they start desiring to be like the rest of the world around them. They stopped recognizing God as their leader and started putting into positions of leadership men and women that gave them what they wanted. Before long, God was just one of the many gods that they worshiped. Life became very corrupt and everyone became very self-focused and sought after the desires of their flesh. Then as God sent prophets to remind them of all that tey had under the leadership of God, how much He love them, and the blessings that they had when they followed Him, they accused the prophets of being the ones causing all of the problems that they had. We have reached this state again and our world calls those who follow Christ crazy, intolerant, mean-spirited, and so many other things. So who is really troubling who? Who is really causing the troubles of today? Is it those who humbly and lovingly follow the teachings of Christ or those who seek after their own desires? The more important question for me to answer, the one that indicts me the most, is, "Do I humbly and lovingly follow the teachings of Christ or do I seek after my own desires?" Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!