We witnessed some of the amazing events in the ministry of Elijah the prophet. When we hear the names of men like him, we often conjure up thoughts of undaunted heroes, men who were never afraid to battle the evil of their day; but that would be to ignore the truth. They were ordinary individuals whom the Lord used to do extraordinary things. They experienced fear, they lacked confidence, and they were susceptible to the same temptations as other fallible human beings; so it was with Elijah.
After displaying courage at Mt. Carmel, facing down King Ahab and his
450 priests of Baal, and after witnessing an awesome demonstration of God’s
power, Elijah fled in the face of the frightening threats of Queen Jezebel.
Then, after having run away to save his life, he begged the Lord to take his
life, to spare him from the danger. These are not the actions of a fearless
hero; these are the reactions of a normal man.
I appreciate the fact that the Bible does not hide these raw emotions,
that it does not try to make these guys out to be something that they weren’t.
We could never identify with a man who had no fear, a man who never doubted his
inadequacy, a man who didn’t struggle with his own sins and shortcomings. When
the Bible indicates that Elijah was afraid, we know that he did not face the
demons or the darkness in his own power. He had to rely upon the Lord for his
strength.
That’s why today’s passage is so important to both the prophet and to
us. While Elijah was hiding in a cave, the Lord was outside displaying His
unbridled power in the storm, the earthquake, and the fire. He was
reminding Elijah that he was not alone in the fight, but that he represented
the one True God, the Creator and King of the universe.
Did you notice that Elijah was not the only one who exhibited fear.
The widow of Zarephath was fearful that the famine would take her life and the
life of her son; but, Elijah challenged her, saying, “Do not be afraid” but to
put her trust in the Lord (17:13). Obadiah, a follower of God in King Ahab’s
palace, was afraid for his life, but he overcame his fear with faith.
Daily Reflection
Can you relate to the widow, to Obadiah, or to Elijah? How so? What
fears are you facing?
Understand that your spiritual enemy wants you to think
that you are alone and that you have no hope in defeating him or his earthly
forces. He
will try every way to intimidate you, to bully you, to overwhelm you, and to
tear you down with words in order to silence you. Don’t listen to the lies that
you are alone, that you are a nobody, or that you can’t do anything
significant. As God raised up 7,000 men and women in Elijah’s day, who did not
bow the knee to Baal (18:18), so He has raised up warriors around you who will stand with you!
Even though the world might label you a “troublemaker,” as it did
Elijah (18:17), and even though
they may seem to gang up on you, as they did Elijah (450 to one, 18:22), remember whom you
represent. With the Lord on your side, you cannot fail! With truth on your side,
no amount of lies will prevail. Put your faith in God, the King of
the universe, and let that faith overcome your fear!
BiAY.org | Day 162 — 203 Days to Go
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