Daily Dose of the Word of God - 1 Kings 18:30-39

Kyle Olson, Technical Director
Music from "Renee" by Jerry Douglas, written by Mike Seal

Transcript

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose of the Word of God. It's the season of green and growing things and hearts ablaze. My name is Kyle Olson, and I serve here as the Technical Director at Elmhurst CRC. I'll be reading from I Kings 18: 30-39.

Elijah (to the people): Gather around me.

So all the people gathered around him, and he fixed the Eternal’s altar that had been torn down. Elijah gathered 12 stones, one for each of Jacob’s tribes. Jacob was the one who wrestled with God and whom the word of the Eternal One visited, saying, “Your name will be Israel.”

Elijah took the 12 stones and constructed an altar in honor of the Eternal One and carved a ditch out around it large enough to hold 13 quarts of seed. He set up the wood, chopped up the bull, and placed it on top of the wood.

Elijah (to the people): Go get four big jars, and fill them all up with water. Then pour the water out over the burnt offering and the wood. Now, do the same thing again.

And so they did it a second time.

Elijah: All right, now do the same thing a third time.

And so they did it a third time. The water covered the altar and even filled up the ditch. When it was time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah called out to the Eternal.

Elijah (praying): Eternal One—God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel—reveal Yourself on this day as Israel’s God. Make it known that I serve You and have done all this because You commanded it of me. Answer me, Eternal One. Reveal Yourself so that everyone here will know that You, Eternal One, are the True God—the only God. Do it so that everyone knows You are turning the gaze of their hearts back to You again.

Right then the Eternal One’s fire landed upon the altar. The flames consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the ground. The flames even drank up all the water in the ditch. When everyone witnessed this extraordinary power, they all put their faces to the ground in fear and awe and wonder.

People: The Eternal One is the True God! The Eternal One is the True God!

Let's pray. Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you for your signs and wonders. Thank you for this day. You've given us another day to follow you, to look to you, to hear your voice, and to be your hands and feet in this world. Help us to trust you. Help us to know your power. Help us to feel that fire inside of us that you put there so that your light may bring grace and peace and mercy to all the dark places in this world. In Your name. Amen.