February 23 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:

2 Kings 1:1–8

Bible Text:

"Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?" (2 Kings 1:3).

Devotional:

King Ahaziah was the son of Ahab and Jezebel. One day he fell through the lattice of his upper room in his palace. This lattice was the wooden screening in front of a window or the railing of a balcony. Ahaziah was badly injured by the fall and feared he would die.

A true son of his mother, he asked for an oracle from Baal: Will I live or die?

Old inscriptions call the idol of Ekron "Baal-Zebul," which means "royal boss." But Bible writers changed a letter, calling him "Baal-Zebub," which means "boss of the flies." It's a well-deserved put-down.

Isn't it terrible that the king of Israel turns to an idol? Especially when a person is sick, he or she should turn to the living God. Illness and accidents don't just happen. We may not blame God for them, but these trials are ultimately intended to make us better people. And the first thing we ought to do in the face of illness and other troubles is turn to the living God.

But Ahaziah didn't. Neither did another king, whom the writer of Chronicles tells about: "Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians" (2 Chron. 16:12).

Even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD. We offend God if we don't pray to him. He will not always give us health and happiness, although he can easily do so. But God will give us himself. And God is our life.

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.