This week I have been reading about one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament, Elijah. What a stud! He challenged hundreds of other prophets, who believed in another god, to a show down. He had himself and the other prophets each build altars to their god. Then who ever could invoke their God to bring down fire upon their altar would be declared the real god. This took a lot of faith.
After taunting these other prophets and making fun of their god's fire-lighting impotence, he then has people completely saturate his altar with water. Then he confidently calls upon his God, Yahweh, and fire comes down from heaven and completely burns up his altar. What a remarkable and spectacular victory! What faith and fearlessness!
However, notice how quickly the faith had turned to fear and how almost instantaneously Elijah defaulted to doubt. When Elijah had returned from this mountain top experience, (it truly occurred on a mountain) he hears that the queen of the land wants to kill him. Eliah's response was one of fear not faith. Elijah doubted that God would save him. Elijah took off to run and hide. What a remarkable transformation! What fear and faithlessness! How did this happen?
There does seem to be a default to doubt in all of us. What contributes to such a tendency to doubt so quickly? Even Peter, who was at one moment walking on water with Jesus began to doubt and subsequently sink. Jesus, was heavy-hearted and asked Peter in Matthew 14:31, "...why did you doubt?"
In one sense Jesus' question is rhetorical, and yet it demands an answer. Why do we so quickly doubt? Are you doubting today? What do you doubt about? More importantly, why do you and I default to doubt so easily and so quickly? I doubt, not because I question God's ability, but because I question God's intention for my life. Is God's intention always for good in my life? I doubt because I question God's goodness. In light of this default to doubt in my own life, I have to ask myself, what would my life be like, if I never doubted God's goodness.
I welcome your thoughts. Beams Away!
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In this modern day we are continually facing a barrage of lies by the politicians, media, merchants, junk emails, and anyone else who we perceive to want something from us. It is our normal (and easiest) response to doubt what we hear. It has become a built-in mechanism of protection for us and unfortunately has spilled into our faith walk. If only we could separate our relationship with God from the interference of our worldly desires we just might be less likely to doubt Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 is a good place to start.
ReplyDeleteI doubt answers to prayer because they don’t come soon enough or God’s direction in my life because my pride says that I know better.
This is one of the devotionals I read today: Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. – James 5:17-18
ReplyDeleteJames brings a profound insight about prayer. Notice that Elijah is identified as a man like us. We often place our attention on the person who is praying, but this Scripture puts the emphasis on the fact that he prayed. In other words, we may think that it was Elijah that made the prayer powerful, but what if prayer was the force that made Elijah powerful? How much power do you think is in prayer? It can turn people like us into people like Elijah! Pray and watch what God will do!
I love this! It's not about the person praying, it's about the prayer! I'm going to be bold in my prayers! I'm going to wait on the Lord. And I'm going to hold God to His promises according to His Word.