Human beings are funny creatures. Sometimes we behave as if we have a giant behind us and no one can hurt or mess with us. On the other hand, we act as if our God is so minute and powerless that we become defend-less. This brings to mind the story of Prophet Elijah confronting 400 Baal prophets. In 1 Kings, chapter 18, Elijah mocked the Baal prophets and persuaded, “Cry loud: for he is a god: either he’s in a business meeting or pursuing a business venture or he is on a journey or peradventure he sleeps and must be awaked [vs. 27]. They cried and cried and even cut themselves with knives till blood gushed out but no one answered them. It then came a time for Elijah to demonstrate that he served a living God and that He’s the God in Israel. Elijah set up an altar with twelve stones according to the twelve tribes of the sons of Jacob and called upon the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. He announced, “Let it be known today that you are God in Israel and I Elijah is your accredited servant. Lord, answer now so that these people may know that thou are the Lord God; that thou has turned their heart back again.” And God showed up by fire and consumed the burnt sacrifice, wood, the stones and dust and licked up the water that was in the trench. When the people saw what happened, that Elijah had brought down fire from heaven; they fell on their faces and worshipped God saying the Lord, He’s the God, the Lord, He’s the God. And Elijah commanded the killing of the 400 false Baal prophets and no one escaped.
When Jezebel heard all that happened, she sent a word to Elijah, “Let the gods do unto her and more also if she made not his life as one of those prophets of Baal.” Despite the status of Elijah as a servant of God Almighty and how he sticked out his faith to God and God honored him; Jezebel thundered and Elijah flee and hid himself under a juniper tree and requested for death. “It’s enough now oh Lord, take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers [dead people].” Sometimes I begin to wonder: is he the same Elijah that commanded fire from heaven; it came down and consumed the sacrifice or is there another? Did he not remember how big his God was? Where was he trying to run to; yet God is still omnipresent. Our God is big enough to protect and defend us from our enemies.
In another instance, John, the Baptist, a man who foreran Christ, came urging people to repent that the kingdom of God was at hand. When he was put into prison for speaking against King Herod who took his brother’s wife, John sent two of his subjects on errand, to ask Jesus whether He was the same person he came to prepare a way for His coming or is there another? Jesus answered: Go and tell him what you have seen: the lame worked, the blind saw, etc. This answer made no sense neither to the two errands nor John the Baptist; just like it may not make sense to anyone of us today. This is the conflict and struggles we face in our daily walk with the Lord. When our faiths carry us to believe on God’s mightiness and greatness, we excel and overcome difficulties. When we think of our problems as greater than our God or we can solve the little ones, we begin to fear and be threatened by Satan and his agents. We may even loose our faith in God and begin to be worried and be depressed by what Satan does. The problem may look little but it’s huge when you begin to deal with it.
Another instance occurred where Goliath mocked the children of Israel for 40 days twice a day [Isaiah 17:16 NLT]. This giant insulted the armies of Israelites and threatened them day and night. The Israelites “retreated behind a desk or crawl into night club or bed of forbidden love.” The Philistines were ready for war and set up their camp at the hill side of the valley in a town of Shochoh in Judah. The Philistines had a hero and war veteran from the town of Gath whose height of nine feet was intimidating to all the armies of Israel. He challenged the armies of Israel to choose someone to fight him. King Saul and his men were frightened at Goliath. They forgot how great their God was? David who went to the war front at Ellah Valley to see how his brothers in Israel armies were fairing heard Goliath boasting and insulting the Israelites and was vexed in the spirit. No one in Israel’s armies could challenge him because they were all scared. David offered to fight Goliath but King Saul wrote him off as having no chance against the war lord of Philistines. “But let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, “in word, in conversion, in charity, in Spirit, in faith, in purity.”[1 Timothy 4:12]. David reassured the king …..the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of lions and bears will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine……. [1Samuel 17; 34-37]. As they went to the battle line, Goliath belittled [disdained] David because he was but a youth and inexperienced. David said to Goliath, “…You’ve come to fight me with a sword and spear and dagger but I’ve come out to fight you in the name of the Lord. He’s the God of Israel’s army and you have insulted Him too….The Lord always win in battles and He will help us defeat you today…… [vs. 45-47].
David knew the God he served was bigger than the giant he faced. David had an experiential knowledge of the God of heaven. Even before beginning the fight, David had declared victory, “……..and the whole world will know ……there is a God in Israel……for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give all of you unto our hands.” David had a testimony to substantiate and anchor his faith. He knew his God is bigger than all his enemies put together; bigger than all negative circumstances of life. Also God has answers for every circumstances of life. We should not waste time dwelling on our past weaknesses and shortcomings but depend on the faithfulness and mightiness of God. The Lord God had never hidden His identity. At every opportunity, He declared, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and His redeemer, the Lord, God of host, “I am the First and the Last and beside Me there is no God [Isaiah 44:6, 8; 45: 5, 6, 21].
If our God is big and powerful, defendable and dependable, why are we scared when the devil barks like dog and a little demonic cat roars? We are often scared and frightened, we run and run and wish the ground could open and swallow us. If Jesus had exchanged the life He had with God, the Father with our old sinful life, the life we now live is the life of Christ in us. Again since we are followers of Christ, we have become His disciples and ambassadors; we have the authority of Christ and command the dominion and power from the city of God – our country of deployment. We are citizen of heaven; we operate and speak that which heaven speaks. Since all authority had been given to Christ and Christ had given us His life, we have the life of Jesus, a life of victory and fulfillment. How on earth do we quake and panic in the face of ranting witches and wizards?
Our God is the maker of heaven and earth. He commanded things and they came into being. He liberated His children from the tyranny of the Egyptians. He led them through the wilderness and crossed Red sea on dry land. In the same sea, the armies of Pharaoh, horses and chariots perished therein. Our God has no comparison and nothing equals Him, “Who is like unto thee, O Lord among the gods? Who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” In this confidence, they sang, “Let us sing unto the Lord for He has triumphed joyously, the horses and his rider, has He thrown into the sea.” [Exodus 15: 11, 21]. In our popular chorus we sing, I have a very big God who is standing by my side, a very big God oh, by my side, by my side.” If then our God is so big, we should stop telling God how big our problem is; instead tell the problems how big our God is and we will see how God moves and works. I ask again, how big is your God? Ponder on this question and let it challenge your misconception; even in the face of odds and you will see God in action.
Reach: Evangelist Ogbonnaya, Godswill at:weefreeministries@yahoo.com or .