other gods

Other gods
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." - Exodus 20:3

The book of 1Kings 16 verse 28 begins the tale of the son of the King Omri who was supposed to take over from his father after he passed on. King Omri wasn't really able to pass unto his son godly leadership so as a result, Ahab also went the way of his father and served idols. As if the service of other gods as a king of the people of GOD wasn't enough offence, he also decided to take to wife Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and built an altar unto Baal, served and worshipped him (1 Kings  16:31).

Fast forward to chapter 17, there arose a "troublesome" prophet, Elijah who declared that there wouldn't be rain upon the land for a specified period of 42months (three & a half years) and so it was. This act really surely got king Ahab vexed because leadership in such times would have been very difficult hence a face off was inevitable.

Elijah became tired of how much king Ahab and his wife Jezebel had led the people of GOD astray from serving the true and living GOD so He requested of the people to refuse to any longer be deceived and make up their minds and choose who they would serve henceforth and should in case the decision was a difficult one for them to make, he aligned himself against all the prophets of Baal in mount Carmel.

Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.(1 Kings  18:23-24)

On this test, the prophets of Baal took to calling their god using several methods all to no avail, this they did until mid-day, giving Elijah a good chance to make jest of them. He said maybe your god has gone on a journey, perhaps he is asleep or on a vacation etc. They kept on asking, seeking and probing why their god wouldn't answer, cutting themselves thinking that maybe at the gushing of their blood, their god would reply but it didn't.

Elijah then withdrew the attention of the people away from the prophets of Baal and instructed that huge gallons of water be poured thrice in the groove made around the sacrifice, something that seemed entirely impossible because water would quench fire anyday anytime. So they turned in water and Elijah called upon the living GOD and fire came down, licked up the water around the groove and burnt up the sacrifice.

As soon as this happened, the people believed GOD, killed the prophets of Baal and turned to worship the one and only true GOD. The GOD who alone was able to do the impossible and turn things around miraculously,  HE definitely is GOD.

Having what we call other gods may sometimes not be the intention of the individuals as it was in the case of these people, they could always argue that they simply just went the way their king led them and were ignorant to know that they were been led astray until they saw the miracle at Mount Carmel. Many people hold unto beliefs and logics which many times they use to fill in the position of GOD in their lives, simply because they are fed wrong information from society or even the pulpit. This wrong information could cause a varying range of harm and misdirection for the individual if not promptly and properly corrected.

Imagine an individual who has convinced himself that his sinful lifestyle is permissible/pardonable simply because he is well able to pay his tithes and give handsome offerings in the church. How wrong.

Whatever it is that you today have made a god in your life that you follow diligently in error as a result of ignorance of the word of GOD, retrace your steps today and follow the one and only true living GOD. He alone is able to do far beyond what you could ask or think.
GOD. He alone is able to do far beyond what you could ask or think.

GOD BLESS YOU.