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Elijah and Ba'al
O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you. Psalm 89:8               As I study the Old Testament, I am continually amazed as to how the people of God continued to fall away and worship idols.  The story of the contest between Elijah and Ba’al fascinates and amuses me.  Can you not picture in your mind the scene that is taking place…the priests of Ba’al calling upon their god to answer their pleas and Elijah taunting them about the lack of response? Then, when Elijah calls on Yahweh, the answer is immediate with fire consuming the sacrifice upon the altar.  The people then proclaim that Yahweh is the true God…they follow for a short time until they are lured away by other gods when times get tough.  It seems that they want to cover all of their bases just in case… as they search for security in their unsettling times.
                As I ponder this story, I think about our own search for security in this world. Do want to cover all of our bases just in case God will not be faithful to God’s promises?  Do we search for other gods in this challenging time in which we live?    As our economic system is failing and our investments are diminishing, where is it that we are placing our trust and faith?  Do we look to God or are we still turning to our gods of pride, self sufficiency, money, etc to provide our security?  Are we any different from the Israelites of the OT when it comes to trusting God?  Maybe not.
                This is a lot to ponder this morning.  There is a need to do some soul searching to determine whether or not we trust God to meet all of our needs.  As we continue through Lent, I encourage you to think about where it is that you place your trust.  It is easy to trust God in the good times, but in the challenging times does our faith stand strong?
Prayer:  Almighty God, help me to stand strong in my faith when times are tough.  Let me see your hand at work and continue to give you praise and glory in all things.  Amen