Reassurance for the Tired and Afraid 9/5/2019

"Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, 'So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.' And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.  But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, 'It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.'  1 Kings 19:2-4

Have you ever done all that you think you can to lead a righteous life while doing the work of the Lord only to feel like you have accomplished nothing and still experience fear at the hands of your enemies?  This was Elijah's problem.

Elijah had just famously taken on 450 prophets of the god Baal in an epic "whose God is real" showdown and prevailed.  In so doing, Yahweh was proven to be alive, real and responsive and powerful.  This resulted in the demise of the false god's prophets and the turning of people's previously corrupt hearts.

Of course, the person who introduced the worship of Baal and therefore managed the prophets was the king's wicked wife Jezebel.  As might be imagined, she was none to happy about such a stunning loss.  She therefore threatened to end Elijah's life in the most vehement way she could.

Beloved, it was human of Elijah to run, hide and request to be removed from God's service. Depending on one's level of activity and commitment, the work of God is not for the faint of heart.  While many of us make excuses about not attending worship, sharing the gospel, helping our fellow human being or reading God's word, this man had stood alone with God against a king, 450 adversaries and an entire nation that was not rooting for him.  Even after prevailing, his life was in danger.  It is natural for us to become weary. This is particularly the case when those who claim to be members of the household of faith and should be standing with us, retreat or even array themselves against us. It is at times like these, however, that our faith must be at its strongest, because it is at times like these that God makes his presence felt most.

Elijah slept.  An angel from the Lord woke him and instructed him to eat, drink and refresh himself with nourishment the angel himself had provided.  Once done, Elijah laid down and the same thing happened again.  This time the angel told him about a great journey ahead of him and how he needed to strengthen himself for it.  The effects of this meal lasted 40 days.  And when the journey reached its conclusion, God met Elijah at the entrance to a cave in the form of a small whisper on the wind.

If you are tired and afraid, know that God has you, God provides for you,
God sustains you, God protects you, God still has work for you to do and in the end, God will meet you.

In pursuit of a transformed life,

Lee

(In prayer for my covenant brother)

Childlike Faith 10/6/2014

"'Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.' And David said, 'The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.' And Saul said to David, 'Go, and may the Lord be with you.'” 1 Samuel 17:36-37

There is scarcely anyone who is unfamiliar with the famous story of David and Goliath. And though we are familiar with the larger lesson and the greater details, there are other noteworthy aspects of the story that bear amplification.

First, the army of Israel was absolutely immobilized in the face of a 9 ft. giant who taunted and harassed them every day for more than a month. The challenge involved having just two men fight rather than both full armies in a "winner take all" contest. No one but David, as it turns out, was willing to step up to the task.

Second, David was harshly criticized for his youthful exuberance. His own brother chastised him and accused him of both being arrogant and being a bit of a rubbernecker. He resisted these charges and continued to inquire about the situation and what was to be done for the person who could defeat the enemy.

Once commanded to appear by the king, who himself seemed to be immobilized, David was reminded that he was just a child and that Goliath had been a warrior from his youth. David responded by sharing his experiences with the king. He had killed both lion and bear using, among other things, his bare hands when they threatened him and his sheep. This he claimed to do through the power of God, indicating that he could not sit idly by and allow the insult to God or his people. He was also confident that this same God would protect him as he had done in the past.

Having convinced the king to allow him to go, he was supplied with armor and a sword but rejected them in favor of 5 smooth stones and a leather sling to fight the heavily armed giant.

Beloved, David was just a child but his absolute faith in God gave him strength and courage that was apparently available nowhere else in all of Israel. There are many lessons that can be learned from the faith of someone so young. We should know and believe that we will face adversaries and adverse situations that are bigger than we are but none that are bigger than God. We will endure discouragement from those who are cowering in fear instead of standing tall in the Lord. We will never be at a loss of those who will remind us of the impossibility of the task, particularly in view of what they perceive to be our shortcomings, yet we can rely on what we know our God can do through us. And finally, there will always be those who will weigh us down with what they think we need when we know that God has already equipped us with everything we require to be successful in his name.

We all know that David prevailed but the number one lesson to be learned is that there is nothing, no matter how daunting, that we cannot overcome through a childlike faith and through the power of Almighty God. Let us always remember to "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil," Ephesians 6:10-11.

One,

Lee

Cowering vs. Courage 2/24/2014

"'Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.  If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.'  Again the Philistine said,  'I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.'  When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid." 1 Samuel 17:8-11

Imagine a scene in which two great armies stand on opposing hills glaring at each other across the valley that separates them.  Imagine one of the armies having a 9 foot giant calling out to the other for a one on one with their champion to settle the whole matter.  Imagine this going on for 40 days.  And imagine the fearful army being the army of God.

We face the great challenges of the adversary every day, both as individuals and as the body of Christ. It seems that the world is becoming increasing bold in withstanding the word of God and that the battle is waged on more and more fronts.  Our children can no longer pray in school.  They are being taught that we evolved from some microbe in some primordial slime and worse, that we are descended from monkeys.  Christians in some parts of the world are being martyred for their faith. Their is an active effort to remove the God in whose belief this country was founded.  And we are experiencing moral decay at an alarming rate.  The giant adversary and his armies are taunting and threatening the people of God.  How long will we cower?

Beloved, we must remember who we serve and who is on our side.  We must also remember that the problems of today are not new.  Thousands of years ago, it was a young boy who asked the people of God, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?" 1 Samuel 17:26.  It was a single voice that spoke up for the cause of God.  A single person who took on the enemy.  And it was a single act that emboldened the people of God who went on to victory. Imagine what could be done with 2, 3, 100 or 1000 faithful voices crying out to God for strength and courage to do what needs to be done.

Let us not hide in our sanctuaries and tremble at the enemy.  Let us engage.  Let us fight for what is right in all aspects of life, beginning with our own.  And let us be the people that God called us to be. Surely He will give us the victory.

One,

Lee