The wall, the Fall and the Fact

So recently my oldest son and I ran our first Marathon.  Wow, still feels weird to say that.  In training I followed a book called 4 hours to a 4 hour marathon.  I made it in 5:17, I didn't say I followed it closely.  Near the end of the book the author, Dave Kuehls, talks about the wall.  It's a fictitious reality for runners.  A point somewhere between mile 13 and 20-something where you feel like you can't go on and you must give up.  Your body is spent.  Your mind fried.  Your muscles weak.  But, if you keep moving, keep running, you can regain your strength.  Renew your mind and refresh your muscles in order to finish.  The key he says is to remember that you can do this.  You've trained.  You've prepared.  You're ready.  It's just a matter of finishing now.

I noticed in the Bible that often times when someone does something great for God... let me rephrase that.  When God does something great through someone, that person often hits the wall next.  In this case, Elijah, in I Kings has destroyed the prophets of Baal and proven that God is God (God sent fire from heaven after Elijah's prayer, to consume the sacrifice, alter, water and dirt it was all on).  He's also told everyone that it would rain (which it hadn't done for three years) and has tucked his tunic in his shorts and run AHEAD of Ahab's chariot (he's the king, with lots of the fastest horses) all the way down the mountain.  The point is that Elijah, er, God has done some pretty amazing things through Elijah in a very short time.

Now Elijah is in the desert and sits down under a bush and asks God to kill him.  Why?  He hit the wall.  He reached the limit of his faith.  He'd accomplished so much, put so much on the line and now he's just done.  Imagine how you would feel in front of more than 400 prophets who want you dead.  Behind them is the Nation of Israel and the king - all of them want you dead.  "Oh God, please answer my prayer!"  Surely Elijah had already played the "what if" game.  What if there was no fire?  What if there is no rain?  What if the chariot catches him and runs him over (surely Ahab's plan).  Elijah, would have looked like a fool!  He would have surely been killed!  He would have thought he was a crazy person who heard voices... God?  didn't you tell me to do this?

There is always a lot on the line when we stand up for God.  But nothing is more at risk than the Holy Image and Name of the God of the Universe!

We hit the wall when we forget that it's all about Him and not about us.  It's not Elijah's strength, his prayer or his persuasive words that caused all that stuff to happen, it was the Holy Name of God.  It wasn't Elijah, it was God.  It's never us, it's always Him.

So, the next time you hit the spiritual wall remember, it's not about you.  It's not your strength, your power, your prayer or your name on the line.  It's His.  And in Him and through Him there is unlimited power to accomplish every plan He chooses.  He's working through you.  Its Him, not you, not me, not we, Him.

The Wall - we hit it when we try to accomplish God's plans in our strength.
The Fall - in our weakness we give up because we don't have the strength/faith to continue.
The Fact - strength comes FROM God THROUGH us to accomplish His plan and purpose.

What has He called you to do?  If you can't accomplish it on your own you've just taken the first step in doing something incredible for/with God.  Keep running.