Choose This Day

EIBC Devotional #23 - “Choose This Day”

Emerald Isle Baptist Church

Pastor Zach Emory

Scripture - 1 Kings 18:20-21

20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel, and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Eli′jah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Ba′al, then follow him.”  

This coming Sunday, we will examine Joshua 24 which houses that famous line, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (v. 15). Throughout their history, the Israelites found themselves caught between competing loyalties: landedness and unlandedness, judgment and repentance, service to their people or service to foreign empires, service to the Lord or service to other Gods. In 1 Kings, Elijah poses a question to Israel that is still relevant to us today:  “How long will you limp about with two different opinions?” In other words, “How long will you sit on the fence?” Christians today are often presented with competing loyalties. For example, we must decide between the values of the surrounding culture and the values of God; we must choose between belonging to the Kingdom of Heaven or belonging to the Kingdoms of Earth. Jesus reminds us on the issue of money, for example, that “no one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). This is a challenge to us to remember that “we are in the world but not of this world” (John 15:19), and we Christians are called to live differently than the world expects of us. Choose today:  Will you serve the Lord?

Questions for Reflection

What competing loyalties in your life threaten to take the place of God?

How can you ensure that you will follow the way of the Lord rather than another way?

Prayer - Heavenly Father, when I am presented with two competing loyalties, let my loyalty always be unto You. In Christ’s name, Amen.