the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 2 of 5
1 Kings 18:17-29
During the time that drought and famine were raging, Ahab did his utmost to find the prophet, whom he considers to be responsible for Israel’s distress.
"Art thou he", he asks him, when at last he finds him, "that troubleth Israel?" How irresponsible! "It is thyself", replies Elijah, "with thy family, who hast brought about this punishment by your sins".
The people of this world reason like Ahab . . . and perhaps we ourselves do so at times! When God sends us a trial, we hasten to accuse other people and to hold them responsible for what happens to us, rather than examine ourselves personally.
At Elijah’s request, the king assembles all Israel with the false prophets upon mount Carmel. The time has come to speak resolutely to the people and to confront them with the challenge, "How long halt ye between two opinions?" Much later, Jesus spoke to the multitudes of Israel in similar vein, upon another mountain, "No man can serve two masters . . ." (Matthew 6:24).
To the reader who has not yet made the choice, we affectionately repeat Elijah’s question, "How long halt ye between two opinions?" . . . between the two masters?
