In college, or really any time in life, it's super easy to only go to God when we feel like we "need Him". As in we didn't study enough for a test we need to pass, we are going through relationship drama, or a ton of other things that cause stress. I think we do that because we forget how big God is. It's easy to pretend like we can keep God in our back pocket and pull Him out for emergencies, but we forget God is way too big to be kept in our pocket.
In 2 Kings Chapter 1, Elijah is faced with 50 of the king's men who are doubting in the true God. Elijah fully relied on the knowledge of how massive God's power really was, and trusted his faith in the situation. Without hesitation, Elijah declared "If I am a man of God, may the fire come down from Heaven and consume the captain and his men" (1:10). And the fire DID! Elijah was able to do this because he was confident in the fact that he WAS a man of God, which is much more than treating God like a magical genie granting wishes. Being a man of God meant that Elijah didn't call on God only when he needed something. He was so secure in his relationship with Him that he was prepared when he had to prove God's existence.
Now hopefully we aren't wanting God to set anyone on fire for us, but wouldn't it be nice if we were so confident in who God is that we were prepared in all situations? If we trust in Him in our daily lives, it makes the big issues we face seem a little less scary, and the dark parts of our lives seem a little less lonely. When asked why we believe in someone we can't see, it's a lot easier to explain the truth we so tightly hold on to when it's a constant part of our day.
Like I said, we probably shouldn't be setting our enemies on fire, but we can use Elijah's confidence to set a fire in the lives of those around us. I know God's love is a real, powerful thing that is much greater than something I only think about in times of need. I know it's something that gets me through every day, and I want those around me to experience His love too. Let's use Elijah's confidence in calling God to shine bright in the lives of those around us, as well as our own lives.
In 2 Kings Chapter 1, Elijah is faced with 50 of the king's men who are doubting in the true God. Elijah fully relied on the knowledge of how massive God's power really was, and trusted his faith in the situation. Without hesitation, Elijah declared "If I am a man of God, may the fire come down from Heaven and consume the captain and his men" (1:10). And the fire DID! Elijah was able to do this because he was confident in the fact that he WAS a man of God, which is much more than treating God like a magical genie granting wishes. Being a man of God meant that Elijah didn't call on God only when he needed something. He was so secure in his relationship with Him that he was prepared when he had to prove God's existence.
Now hopefully we aren't wanting God to set anyone on fire for us, but wouldn't it be nice if we were so confident in who God is that we were prepared in all situations? If we trust in Him in our daily lives, it makes the big issues we face seem a little less scary, and the dark parts of our lives seem a little less lonely. When asked why we believe in someone we can't see, it's a lot easier to explain the truth we so tightly hold on to when it's a constant part of our day.
Like I said, we probably shouldn't be setting our enemies on fire, but we can use Elijah's confidence to set a fire in the lives of those around us. I know God's love is a real, powerful thing that is much greater than something I only think about in times of need. I know it's something that gets me through every day, and I want those around me to experience His love too. Let's use Elijah's confidence in calling God to shine bright in the lives of those around us, as well as our own lives.
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