Daily Devotions
Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice …. 1 Kings 18:38a
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
There is an Ethiopian saying: “You cannot plough the sky, or fry water, or accuse the King.”
It’s a great saying, even though it is not entirely accurate. The sky is ploughed by lightning, water can be fried by a pan, and a king can be accused by his mistakes.
Of course, some will ask, “Can a fire consume water?” It is a practical question to which common sense says, “Impossible.” It’s the other way around, with fire able to burn most things except stone and water. This is why, in some developing countries, when a fire starts in a remote place without a quantity of available water, a fire can burn for months and the damage is often severe.
Christians note that in all of human history, only once has a fire consumed water.
There is a story in the Bible where the prophet Elijah engaged in a duel with the prophets of Baal. He challenged them saying, “The God who answers His people’s prayers is the true God.” (See 1 Kings 18.) The story tells of how 450 prophets of Baal prayed to their god saying, “O Baal, answer us!” They received no reply.
Then Elijah prayed saying, “‘O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that You are God …. Answer me, so these people will know that You, O Lord, are God …’ Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water (which Elijah had previously poured) in the trench.”
So, if God wants, a fire can consume water, and if He wishes, a lost sinner can be saved.
Thankfully, the second miracle — the saving of sinners from hell — is a miracle. The saving of sinners is going to happen more than once. Indeed, by Holy Spirit-given faith, the blood of Jesus Christ can, and will cleanse billions of lost souls from their sins and rescue them from hell.
THE PRAYER: O God, Creator of heaven and earth, help us understand Your infinite power and providence, which can provide miracles for Elijah and a soul-saving miracle for me. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today’s international devotion comes from the Lutheran Hour Ministries director in Ethiopia, Berhanu Moges, a dear friend and faithful servant of the Savior. Established in Addis Ababa in 1996 and known locally as Berhan Media Ministry, this East African ministry center shares the Gospel in this country of 85 million through evangelism rallies, Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) and the Equipping the Saints (ETS) program, working in partnership with church congregations to organize these workshops.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.