Riding a Seesaw

A see-saw (also known as a teeter-totter or teeter board) is a long narrow board pivoted in the middle so it can alternate in an up-and-down or backward-and-forward motion. The Bible records a situation that happened in the history of Israel that involved a puppet king name Ahab. The reason why I refer to Ahab as a puppet king is due to the things his wife Jezebel did. In reality Jezebel governed Ahab who governed Israel.

Once again Israel left God to worship false gods and during this time Jezebel massacred the prophets of the Lord. However, Obadiah, a man who had charge of Ahab's house, who feared God, hid one hundred prophets. Obadiah meets the Prophet Elijah who tells Obadiah to contact King Ahab so that Elijah could meet with him. "Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him,"Is that you, O troubler of Israel?"  And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." (1 Kings 18:17-19)

Ahab calls Elijah "O troubler of Israel." However, the reality was, Elijah was trouble for the devil because the devil works overtime deceiving God's people into believing that God is not true to His Word. Elijah was bringing the Word of God to Ahab and Israel. The devil has been using this tactic from the beginning of man. "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said..." (Genesis 3:1) The devils lies can be seen as truth when God's people lack in two main areas of their life. One is a lack of the knowledge of God's Word. Hosea the Prophet tells us, "My people are being destroyed because they don't know me..." (Hosea 4:6 NLT) The best way to get to know God is through His Word. His Word is His revelation of Himself and His plan to man.

The other area is that many of God's people lack is faith. Faith is defined in two ways. The first is what is called sense knowledge faith. This is faith based on a persons senses, touch, taste, smell, see and hear. For many in the church it means they will not believe God's Word unless they see physical evidence first. It means that many will say they believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God yet they will not act on what is says beyond what their senses can understand. Unfortunately, this is unbelief disguised as faith. The other kind of faith, the kind that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). It is believing God's Word and acting upon it without any physical evidence, even when the circumstances dictate other.  This is what is called revelation faith. It is of the spirit not of the senses.

Look at what Elijah says as he confronts the children of God, "So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. And Elijah came to all the people, and said,"How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word." (1 Kings 18:20-22) For most in the church today, if they were confronted with these words, mostly likely two things would happen. One, they would be offended and leave the church or they would do as Israel, not say a word and look for proof.

All to often, correction is taken as an offense which reveals a lack in the above mentioned areas, not knowing God and lack of faith. In Israel's case, they were waiting on physical evidence that God was God and Baal was nothing but a lie from the devil. Elijah clearly shows us that there are only two opinions, God's truth or Satan's lies. Isaiah asks, "Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" (Isaiah 53:1) Jesus and the apostle Paul ask the same. (John 12:38; Romans 10:16) In each case, the question was aimed at God's children due to a lack of faith.

Every day believer's must ask themselves this question, "Whose report will I believe." If we truly believe the report of the Lord (God's Word) then the evidence will be our confession and actions even when we have absolutely no tangible evidence. Even when the circumstances are so insurmountable that it looks like there is not even a remote possibility of deliverance. This is the kind of  faith that moves God. This is the kind of faith that gets the job done. This is the kind of faith that pleases God and this is the kind of faith that makes the impossible possible. "Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23)

So do not get on the devils seesaw ever again. He will try to get you to falter between two opinions. Do not let him talk you out of what God said He would do. "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19) When he tries to bring you a report that is contrary to God's Word, simply,  "submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..." (James 4:7-8) "Resist him, steadfast in the faith..." (1 Peter 5:9) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.