February 1 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

Elijah's name is his mission: "My God is the LORD." Elijah teaches us the meaning of repentance by the removal of idolatry. Unless we obey the Word, God's blessings don't descend. Instead, the land will experience a terrible drought.

Bible Reading:

1 Kings 16:29–33

Bible Text:

Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him (1 Kings 16:30).

Devotional:

The wicked king Ahab learned from his dad, as most of us do. The record says that his father, Omri, "sinned more than all those before him" (v. 25). But Ahab outdid his father. Ahab "did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him," including his father.

Ahab's partner in wickedness was his wife, Jezebel. With her help he imported the worship of Baal from Phoenicia to Israel. Imagine. The king and queen of the only nation that worshiped the true God importing idolatry! The leader of God's people extinguished the light of truth, and Israel groveled in the dark.

Baal means "boss" or "master." In the land of Canaan most towns and regions had their own Baal. That's why in the Bible we often encounter a Baal with a second name, Baal-this or Baal-that.

The religion of Baal is the worship of nature, not the God of nature. Baal's worshipers stand in awe of storm and rain, the power of growth, fertility, and sexuality. Baal worship and today's "New Age" cults aren't much different. People will either worship the true God or make an idol out of something God created.

During the dark age of Ahab and Jezebel, God sent the prophet Elijah, who was like a bolt of lightning. His name means "my God is Yahweh" (Jehovah). And that confession is his mission. Elijah comes to bring judgment on idolatry and glory to the LORD his God.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.