The sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling …
—1 Kings 18:45
Oleg started listening to our radio programs because he felt disillusioned. A small business owner, he spent a great deal of time and effort to gain financial security. That would make him happy, he thought. But after succeeding financially, he discovered a huge inner emptiness. “In the end I realized that I didn’t know God and was serving idols instead,” he confessed in his letter to us.
In 1 Kings 18 we discover the dramatic ending to a three-year drought. Elijah, the only messenger of the true God, wins a competition with 450 false prophets as the fire of the Lord burns his sacrifice on Mount Carmel.
But Elijah knows it’s not over yet. He waits for a special sign. There’s a small cloud rising above the sea that eventually brings a huge downpour. The long and treacherous drought is finally over. The power of the Lord is revealed to everyone. The bitter irony here is that the false prophets were serving Baal, the idol of fertility and rain clouds.
There are many things in this world that taunt us with promises of happiness and fulfillment. But regardless of their promising names and bright packaging, idols cannot help us. Only the true God of the Bible can stop our spiritual drought when we turn to him in faith and repentance.
Heavenly Father, give us wisdom to turn away from tempting, yet empty, idols. Thank you for giving us true happiness and purpose in Jesus Christ. Amen.
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