When Courage Wanes…

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Written by Jimmie Burroughs Email this article to a friend

There is an interesting story in the Old Testament recorded in 1 Kings Chapters 18 and 19. It concerns one of the faithful prophets of the Lord, Elijah. Elijah was sent by the Lord to meet King Ahab, king of Israel. Ahab and his wicked queen Jezebel had led the kingdom of Israel into Baal worship and God had caused it not to rain for many days.

On his way to find Ahab, Elijah met Obadiah, a servant of Ahab, who also was a secret prophet of God. Obadiah recognized Elijah and fell on his face before him. Elijah commanded Obadiah to go find Ahab the king and tell him, “Behold Elijah is here”! Elijah promised that he would wait for Ahab and so Obadiah reluctantly agreed to go.

When Ahab saw Elijah he said, “Are you the one that troubles Israel”? Because of the lack of rain, the horses and mules were at the point of death for need of grass and water. Elijah bravely replied, “I haven’t troubled Israel but you and your fathers have forsaken God and have followed Baal-im.”

“Send and gather the prophets, 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the groves and gather them at Mount Carmel.” Ahab followed Elijah’s request and sent and gathered the children of Israel and the prophets of Baal to Mount Carmel.

When they were assembled, Elijah came to the people and said, “How long will you be caught between two opinions? If God be God then follow him but if Baal then follow him”, and the people answered him not a word. Elijah said, “I stand alone as a prophet of the Lord; let the 450 prophets of Baal prepare two Bullocks. Let them dress one and cut it in pieces and lay it on wood without fire under it and I will dress the other and lay it on wood without fire under it. You call on the name of your gods and I will call on the name of the Lord: And the God that answers with fire let him be God.” All the people answered and said, “Is well spoken”.

So the prophets of Baal cried out to their god and cut themselves until the blood gushed out over them, as was the custom, from morning until noon until midday had passed and there was nothing. Elijah mocked them and said, keep trying, for he is a god, either he is talking or busy or perhaps he is on a journey or maybe he is asleep and needs to be awakened. Elijah then called the people unto him and repaired the altar of the Lord with 12 stones each representing one of the 12 tribes of Israel. When he had done so he commanded that a trench be dug around the altar and filled with water. He then prepared the wood and dressed the bullock and laid it on top of the wood. Then Elijah ordered them to pour 4 barrels of water over the sacrifice and then he said, “Do it the second time” and then a third time. When evening had come and it was time for the evening sacrifice, Elijah called out to God, “Let it be known today that you are God of Israel and I am your servant and that I have done these things according to your request. Hear O Lord that the people may be turned back to you.” Then fire came down and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, stones, and dust and licked up the water in the trench.

When the children of Israel saw it, they fell on their faces and called out that the Lord God was God. Elijah then said to them “Take the prophets of Baal down to the brook Kishon and kill them.” Elijah then turned to Ahab and said, “The rain is now on its way.”

Ahab told Jezebel about the things Elijah had done and she sent a message to Elijah telling him by tomorrow he also, like the prophets he had slain, would be dead. Elijah ran for his life into the wilderness and found a Juniper tree and lay down under it and despaired of his life; he asked God to kill him. There he fell asleep and after a while an angel of the Lord came with food and water and waked him and told him to eat. He slept again and the second time the angel came with food and water and said eat and drink for the journey is too great. After he had food and drink he arose and went to Mount Horeb and found a cave and fasted for 40 days and nights. Afterwards the Lord spoke to him and said, “What are you doing here Elijah?” Elijah said to the Lord, “They have torn down your altars and slain the prophets and now they are after me to kill me.”

What happened to the courage of this great man of Valor who stood up to the king and all the people and the 850 prophets of Baal just a few days previous and now he is fearful of one wicked woman?

Courage is a drive that we all have; even a coward has it. But the courage drive like any other drive draws on the strength from which it comes until that strength is depleted. The height of courage cannot be sustained over an indefinite period. There must be a withdrawal and a time of replenishing of strength. That is way a commander orders his troops to retreat when they are pushed to the very edge.

Once again the Lord got Elijah’s attention to the fact he was God. He first sent a strong wind that even broke up the rocks of the mountain but God was not in the wind. He then sent an earthquake and again God was not in the earthquake. Then there came a fire but God was not in the fire; afterwards God spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice. That same still, small voice is available to those who call upon the name of the Lord to call them back when courage wanes and everything seems hopeless and even death seems better than living. It is God’s still small voice that tells us, “I still have a purpose for your life, don’t stop now”.

“With patience and ease, in an unselfish and purposeful way, over a time period undetermined, and for a good that includes others, I intend for $1,000,000 to come to me and to others who join me in holding to this objective.” Jimmie Burroughs


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Jimmie Burroughs is the author of JimmieBurroughs.com ; get more tips on personal development: www.JimmieBurroughs.com

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