Flowers Fade Friday: Limping

I always loved the stories of the prophets Elijah and Elisha when I was little. I remember to this day that Elijah came first because “j” comes before “sh” {their alphabetical order matches their chronological order}. Elijah is the one who told the widow that her grain and oil containers would not empty until famine had left the land and he also raised the widow’s son back to life. Eventually, Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind and Elisha took his place to perform more miracles and proclaim God’s truth in a time when Israel was acting very sinfully.

So when I recently got to the place in I Kings where Elijah is introduced, the third grader in me got excited as I remembered Sunday school felt boards and big pictures of Bible stories from long ago.

Elijah speaks the truth, not only to my elementary school self, but to the adult me as well.

Although I didn’t understand it well when I was eight years old, Elijah was given the weighty ministry of prophesying to Israel’s defiant king Ahab and telling him to stop the abominable idol worship that was taking place all over the kingdom.

Elijah comes to Ahab and says boldly “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.”

Of course, Ahab and the rest of these idol worshipers did not listen.

But as I read these words, I was struck by the truth that I am all too often an Ahab limping between two gods…

I know the Lord and I love Him, but how many other gods does my heart chase after? The gods of perfection, comfort, worldly security, being well liked, having good friends, and maintaining a certain image… these are the Baals of my heart.

And while I have come a long way in many of these areas (by the grace of God alone), these gods are still there in the background calling out my name…

And what happens when I listen to their voices?

I limp. As I waver back and forth between the true God and the myriad of false gods all around, I stagger and limp like a drunkard. I have no clear direction. I don’t know where I am going. My walk is unsteady and I risk falling hard at any second as I wander to and fro.

Elijah speaks the truth.

We can’t walk boldly or confidently when we are limping after idols. We walk crookedly as we try tear our hearts in two. When we try to love God and our false gods, we don’t accomplish anything. We don’t get anywhere.

But there is no need to limp, Child of God. There is no need to wander. I must remind myself that I have something that is far more beautiful than the gods of comfort, security, beauty, and perfection combined. My God is Jesus, the founder and perfecter of  my faith. When I fix my eyes on him, my path becomes clear and my steps become strong and steady. Those little gods fade further into the background as I walk joyfully on the straight and narrow path striving toward the One who loved me and gave himself up for me.

And my hope is the same for you… there is no need to limp, precious friend, when you can run with confidence to the throne of Christ.