A Warrior's Attitudes - Doubt v Conviction Part 1

Team,

Doubt is an adversary worth a closer look, so we will spend a few posts on this chapter (1 Kings 17) from different angles. It is a part of our human nature, and its presence is a common ingredient in all of us. There is a reason why we tend to admire and follow people of conviction. Their seemingly unshakable belief in what they are doing and why they are doing it give them the appearance and characteristics of a leader:

1 Kings 17:1-11

17 Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

² Then the Lord said to Elijah, ³ “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. ⁴ Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”

⁵ So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. ⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. ⁷ But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.

The Widow at Zarephath

⁸ Then the Lord said to Elijah, ⁹ “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”

¹⁰ So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” ¹¹ As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”

See the power and conviction of Elijah. In verse 1, he speaks the Word of the Lord to King Ahab. He is not shaken by who he is speaking to, or by what he has to say. Elijah is standing in and on the Word of God to the kingdom – and he is utterly convicted that the prophecy will come to pass.  

As a result, God instructs him to go (v3) and He will provide for him there until it is time to move on. When the provisions cease, Elijah does not panic or gnash his teeth. He confidently waits for God to speak again (v8-9) and follow His next set of instructions. He also acts with this same absolute confidence (v10-11) when he encounters the widow.

While it is often prudent to ask the “what if that doesn’t work” question, the difference between giving doubt a foothold and full preparation is often spiritual. Doubt is the antithesis of conviction. If we allow the “what if” to become “yes God, but what about…”, then we have abandoned our state of conviction.

Since the prophet Elijah does not question God’s methods, motives, or circumstances, he walks in the confidence and power of His Plan for Elijah. This is the conviction that we all recognize as coming from an anointed leader.  Elijah did not say to God “ok, but what if she’s a bad cook, or she’s ugly, or she doesn’t show up when I get there?”  Elijah acts with conviction in his heart that His Plan will be carried out.

Strive for this level of conviction on your walk with God and in His Plan for you.  We will look at the human side of things in the next post.

Blessings,

Bryan