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Read: 1 Kings 18:20-21
Listen: 1 Kings 18

Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21

The grass that once covered the hills of northern Israel is frayed and dry. Three years have passed since rain nourished the ground. Three years since crops grew and cattle grazed. The people are destitute. They still worship Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, the one who promised to bless Abraham and freed them from slavery in Egypt. Yet, King Ahab leads them to Baal, a god with the reputation for sending rain and blessing crops. So, they jump to worship Baal too. Elijah exposes Israel’s wavering. He challenges King Ahab and the Baal worshippers to prove which god is true. In doing so, he challenges Israel to stop jumping back and forth between Yahweh and Baal.

It’s unlikely that we have idols of stone tucked away in our homes. But our hearts share the same fallen tendencies with Israel. We have the propensity to jump between Jesus and something else. It’s easy to miss because idolatry is rarely ever total abandonment. We jump to Jesus for forgiveness and heaven. But when we feel insecure or powerless, we jump to something else to help us forget or gain control. It could be a substance, a relationship, an achievement and more. All our jumping is futile. God calls us to stay with him. He alone can provide security, identity and approval.

TODAY: Use this fill-in-the-blank prayer to confess your idols to God. “Father, I admit when I feel _____ I tend to jump to __________. Help me trust you alone for my needs.”