The Living God

"As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." (1 Kings 17:1: also vs. 12)

The Lord lives. An oath is taken in His name. There will be no rain.

A living God is one who has personality. A living God is one who has created all things from His own self-sustaining life. A living God is immortal.
A vast difference exists between the living God and the Baal whom Ahab and Jezebel served. The living God really existed. He was a potent force, indeed a threat to all other gods. Because He was truly the one who made all things He could easily halt the rain. The giver of life could take the country’s provision of water and stop it, in turn destroying the crops and the supply of food. Baal was helpless to usurp the plans of the living God so worshipping him was futile. 

Elsewhere the Bible says,"it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31). The dead idols that came from Phoenicia were falling. Israel was not right with God and now they were about to fall into His fearful hands.

The "living God" occurs often in Scripture. When it appears most often it is used with the comparison between God and idols. God is living and the idols are dead. They are worthless. Paul and Barnabas cried out to the people of Lystra that we "preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, and all things that are in them" (Acts 14:15). The Thessalonians "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." (1:9). After a verse-long description of building an idol from silver and gold, Jeremiah called Him the "living God and the everlasting King". (10:10).

King Darius worshipped false gods, but when Daniel was saved from the lion’s den he made a proclamation that all his kingdom would tremble before the God of Daniel. His reason—"For He is the living God and He endures forever." (Daniel 6:26 NIV).

Most people don’t bow down to literal false idols today, but the principle is one that applies to all. If we live for something that is dead, we shall never know life. Psalm 1:3 describes the godly. "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season." A life without the blessing of the living God is "like the chaff which the wind drives away (vs. 4). This life is dry, fruitless, and meaningless.

The living God has made provisions that we might have life in Him through the gift of His Son. Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you that he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24). Is this our desire? Let us tell Him for He is listening. Our requests will be answered. After all, He is a living God.