God showed up

The Old Testament has a story about Elijah in a conflict with the prophets of Ba'al. Elijah was tired of the other prophets' moaning and groaning about his god, so he challenged them to a duel of the gods. Whichever god showed his presence at the duel would win. The prophets of Ba'al were not able to get their god to show up. So if Elijah's god showed up at all, not even with great demonstrations of power, he was the winner. But, Elijah's god showed up with power of the first class. He burned the meat on the altar that was offered to him into complete obliteration. He burned the rocks into ashen gravel that made up the altar, and he made the fire so hot that the flames evaporated the water in the moat that had been dug around the altar.

I got to see that very scene played out in a different arena today. Some very evil people had a chance to put all their moaning and groaning against a Godly man into action. People had been praying for God to show up for this Godly man on the day of battle. Which he did with power of the first class. It was unexpected in the way God showed up. And really, all God had to do was show up just a little bit and the battle would have been won. But, God's trademark is to show up so that there is no doubt who showed up. So, today the battle was won and there was no doubt that an all-consuming flame left nothing behind. What a memory I will have of the day God showed up.