Going to Lengths to Avoid God

Readings:
I Kings 18:21-46
John 11:55-12:11

Focus:
I Kings 18:29:"All afternoon they [the priests of Baal] raved and ranted till the hour of the regular offering, but still there was no sound, no answer, no sign of attention."
I Kings 18:38::"The fire of the Lord fell, consuming the whole-offering, the wood, the stones, and the earth, and licking up the water in the trench."
John 12:10-11:"The chief priests then resolved to do away with Lazarus as well, since on his account many Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him."

When God is put to the test, he comes through. False gods cannot do what God can do. The priests of Baal called upon him to show the people of Israel that Baal was god, but they received no answer. However, the Lord God himself answered abundantly when Elijah called upon him.

Similarly, Jesus had asked God to raise Lazarus from the dead, and he had done so. But, incredibly, instead of putting their trust in God because of this, the chief priests decide instead not only to kill Jesus, but to kill Lazarus as well, to keep people from going to see him and believe in Jesus. And in Elijah's day, the Israelites turned away from God soon enough as well.

It is amazing the lenghths we will go to in order to avoid God's call on our lives, even when we have had proof of his reality. We think of reasons that he must not be real after all, and then we do whatever it takes to avoid him. But what he has to offer us is so much better than what we think we want. We need to rethink our reactions.