06/10/2026
Daily Devotional — June 10, 2026
Opening Prayer
Lord open my heart to receive your word,
Open my eyes to read and understand it
and give me a mouth to proclaim it. Amen.
Scripture
1 Kings 18:20–39
Ahab sent word among all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets on Mount Carmel.
And Elijah came near to all the people and said:
> "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him."
And the people did not answer him a word.
Then Elijah said to the people:
"I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
Let two bulls be given to us. Let them choose one bull for themselves and prepare it, but put no fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put no fire to it.
Then you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire, He is God."
And all the people answered,
> "It is well spoken."
The prophets of Baal took the bull and prepared it and called upon Baal from morning until noon, saying,
"O Baal, answer us!"
But there was no voice. No one answered.
At noon Elijah mocked them, saying,
> "Cry aloud, for he is a god! Either he is musing, or relieving himself, or on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened."
They cried aloud and cut themselves according to their custom until the blood flowed upon them.
But there was no voice. No one answered. No one paid attention.
Then Elijah said,
"Come near to me."
He repaired the altar of the LORD that had been broken down. He took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of Israel and built an altar in the name of the LORD.
He laid the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood.
Then he said,
"Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood."
They did it three times until the trench around the altar was filled with water.
At the time of the offering, Elijah came near and prayed:
"O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back."
Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, the dust, and even the water in the trench.
When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said:
"The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"
Matthew 5:17–19
Jesus said to His disciples:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
"For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Reflection & Application
Today's readings confront one of the greatest spiritual dangers a believer can face:
Trying to stand with one foot in the kingdom of God and one foot in the world.
Elijah stands before Israel and asks a question that still echoes today:
"How long will you go limping between two different opinions?"
The people wanted both.
They wanted the blessings of God.
But they also wanted the approval of the culture around them.
They wanted the LORD when it was convenient.
And Baal when it was beneficial.
And Elijah says:
Choose.
Because divided loyalty is still disloyalty.
That question reaches into our lives.
How long will we:
Trust God on Sunday but worry all week?
Profess faith but ignore obedience?
Claim Christ as Lord while reserving parts of our lives for ourselves?
Elijah's challenge was not really about Baal.
It was about the heart.
---
Then Jesus says:
> "I have not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it."
In other words, Jesus did not come to lower God's standard.
He came to complete God's plan.
The Christian life is not about finding loopholes.
It is about surrendering fully to Christ.
Not because we are earning salvation.
But because we belong to the One who saved us.
Today's Heart Check
Where am I trying to live with divided allegiance?
Is there an area where I know what God wants, but I keep hesitating?
A habit?
A relationship?
A priority?
A fear?
An attitude?
Elijah reminds us that eventually every believer must answer the question:
> "If the LORD is God, follow Him."
Not halfway.
Not occasionally.
Fully.
---
And notice how the story ends.
When the fire falls, the people cry out:
> "The LORD, He is God!"
The goal was never simply fire from heaven.
The goal was hearts turned back to God.
That is still God's desire today.
---
Closing Prayer
Father,
Search my heart and reveal any place where my loyalty is divided.
Forgive me for the times I have tried to follow You halfway.
Give me the courage to follow You fully and faithfully.
Like Elijah, help me stand for truth even when it is unpopular.
Like the people at Mount Carmel, turn my heart back to You.
Teach me to obey Christ not out of obligation but out of love.
May every area of my life declare:
The LORD, He is God.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
---
> "How long will you go limping between two different opinions?"
That question from Elijah is worth carrying with you all day, Andy. It cuts through a lot of noise and gets right to the heart.
