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Enjoy Life, Enjoy God


Dale Patterson

HOW MANY TIMES?

January 20, 2010

Do you learn the first time? To learn a lesson are you one that needs the lesson several times, even over and over? If so, you are "biblically normal."

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When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord--he is God! The Lord--he is God!"
- 1 Kings 18:39 TNIV
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King Ahab meets Elijah in what turns out to be a duel. Elijah says, "Let's settle this once and for all: have your priests build a fire but ask their gods to light it, and I'll do the same. The god that lights the fire, that god is the true Lord." Ahab and his minions agree. In an all day showdown, the prophets of Baal are wiped out when Elijah's prayer sets his woodpile on fire. Then Elijah tells Ahab, "As I told you, Israel has not had rain for years due to the people's unfaithfulness. That's about to change, get ready for rain." When the people see the mighty hand of God--for the umpteenth time!--they cry out, "The Lord--he is God!" But how many times?

How many times do we demand that God proves himself to us, as if that is God's job. How many times does God's grace overcome our short memories? The Elijah-Ahab duel on Mt. Carmel is one of my all-time favorite stories. Yet it summons us to ask, "How many times?"
Joyfully,

Dale Patterson