Have you ever noticed how easy it is to and how quickly we can find ourselves questioning everything we know? One moment you have the faith of Abraham, and the next you find yourself doubting like Thomas.  We’re not alone here you know.  This is actually a very common part of the battle.

Even the great prophet Elijah experienced a similar crisis of faith.  In 1 Kings 18 we find Elijah on a mountain with 400 prophets of the pagan god Baal.  I’m sure you know the story. Elijah challenges them to a dual of sorts: they are both to build alters to their gods, and then invite their god to accept and burn up the sacrifice.  Baal’s prophets fail miserably and so Elijah steps up to the plate. Dousing his alter with bucket after bucket of water, he prays to his God, Jehovah, and wow!  Fire falls from heaven, the sacrifice, the water and even the stones are consumed by the fire.  Our man Elijah is on the top of the world, and nothing, not even 400 pagan prophets, can touch this mans faith.

That is until a few verses later in Chapter 19.  Elijah hears that Jezebel is not happy with him killing all of her prophets, she wants him dead.  Now if I’m Elijah, I’m thinkin’: big deal, just saw fire from heaven, bring it on lady! But no, the Word says that ‘Elijah was afraid and ran for his life … I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life.”’(3,4)  Elijah becomes suicidal, and that’s when God sends the prophet on a 40 day journey.  Finally, arriving at Mount Horeb, God asks Elijah a question, ‘What are you doing here?’ (v9).  A rather silly question really, I mean, wasn’t God the one that brought him there. But God’s not asking ‘what are you doing here on this mountain’. No, he’s asking, ‘what are you doing here at this place of despair?’  Elijah makes some great excuses.  Stories of how hard the battle has been, how no one else gets it, how he is all alone.  God doesn’t deny it, however his response is really not one of great empathy.  “Go back the way you came.” (v 15).  In other words, get back in the battle.  I know that it is hard, I know that you feel underappreciated and battle weary, I know you want to quit, but there is still more to do, get back in the battle. 

So much of my own crises of faith come from the lack of fulfillment of my own personal agenda’s.  And as any great King and a loving Father would, God understands my fears and frustrations and invites me to step aside, on a journey of discovery as I listen to his voice.  That voice is a voice of encouragement and hope, but it is not a voice that allows me in my crisis to resign my post; rather it draws me into the bigger picture, the story that is less about my comfort and more about His glory, for the only way that our God can destroy the lie of our enemy that all is hopeless it to remind us that it is not hopeless, that we are still needed, that we are to go back the way that we came, back to the battle.

I will see you on the front lines.

To the King,

David