Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you halt and limp between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
1 Kings 18:21
When We read in 1 Kings 18:21 about halting and limping "between two opinions," we can interpret that phrase quite simply a "doubting." I once heard a story that offers valuable insight into the doubt that so often affects Christians.
There was a man who had a financial need and was confessing God's Word over his life, quoting Scriptures, and believing that God had already provided a way for him. He was just waiting for his breakthrough to become a reality. While doing so, he was intermittently attacked with thoughts of doubt. After he had suffered a particularly difficult time and was beginning to get discouraged, God opened his eyes to the spiritual world. This is what he saw: a demon (an evil spirit) speaking lies to him, telling him that he was not going to get the help he needed and that confessing God's Word was not going to work. But he also saw that each time he confessed the Word, light would come out of his mouth like a sword, and the demon would cower and fall backward.
As God showed him this vision, the man then understood why it is so important to keep speaking the Word. He saw that he did have faith, which was why the evil spirit was attacking him with doubt.
Doubt is not something God puts in us. Romans 12:3 says that God gives every man the "measure of faith" (KJV). God has placed faith in our hearts, but the devil tries to negate our faith by attacking us with doubt.
Doubt comes in the form of thoughts that are in opposition to the Word of God. This is why it is so important for us to know the Bible. If we know the Word, then we can recognize when the devil is lying to us. Be assured that he lies to us in order to steal what Jesus purchased for us through His death and resurrection.
I encourage you to be like the man who sought help from the Lord: speak God's Word because His Word is true, and because confessing the truth sends the demons of doubt away!
Page 551
The Everyday Life Bible
The Power of God's Word for Everyday Living
Amplified Version
Featuring Notes and Commentary By: Joyce Meyer
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