Battle-Worn Hearts: Faithful God in Seasons of Doubt and Unbelief (Part 1 of 2)
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26
Within our life stories, we are continually moving from season to season—often battle to battle—in desperate need of a season full of rest, refreshment, and revival. We long to see the Lord show up and reveal Himself in a new way, displaying a new side of Himself—His glory.
Even though God shows Himself to be so faithful time and time again, we often walk in unbelief and doubt the goodness and grace of God for the next season in our lives.
When these seasons of doubts and discouragement come into our lives, we must remember and reflect on our past mountaintop and valley experiences with God where we witnessed firsthand the very glory of God Himself. As we recall and meditate on the faithfulness of God, His goodness and grace, our hearts will be encouraged and our spirits refreshed. This remembrance and reflection on Who God is and Who He has shown Himself to be is the key to pulling out of these seasons of unbelief and unrest before they overtake our battle-worn hearts.
MOUNTAINTOPS AND VALLEYS
In our lives, we will experience both the mountaintops and valleys with the Lord. Remembering that our God is both the Lord of the mountaintops and the valleys will give us confidence and assurance in either place. His glory—although displayed differently—is to be seen in every situation.
Sometimes, His glory comes in a consuming fire from Heaven; other times, He shows Himself in a gentle whisper. Sometimes, God gifts us with a tiny cloud of hope in the distance; while other times, God rains down His blessings beyond measure upon us. The Lord designs our seasons His way and in His timing, creatively and uniquely. Without a doubt, the Lord always shows up and faithfully provides.
Maybe, you were just on a mountaintop experience where you have seen the glory of God revealed. He showed up in a miraculous way, answered your prayers, and delivered. But now, you are off the mountain back in the desert valley—here where doubts and barrenness of faith reside. This is a vivid picture of our Christian life. Sometimes we are on the mountaintops experiencing God’s close presence, and other times we are in the desert longing to see His glory and His deliverance again.
ELIJAH, A SEASONED VETERAN
In 1 Kings 17-19, Elijah also experienced this similar season of doubt and unbelief. Elijah, one of God’s renowned prophets, had just witnessed the Lord providing for him in miraculous ways. The Lord had ordered the ravens to bring Elijah bread and meat each morning and evening during a time when he was hiding from King Ahab in Kerith Ravine, on the east side of the Jordan. After the brook had dried up from the drought in the land, the Lord again faithfully provided food and drink for Elijah through the limitless jar of flour and oil which He supplied through a widow in Zarephath. When this widow’s only son became ill and breathless, the Lord answered Elijah’s desperate cry for healing and restored him to life.
Now, another battle confronted Elijah on Mount Carmel. Elijah stood bold and courageous, firm in His convictions of Who God is and Who God had just shown Himself to be in Elijah’s life. Elijah had full confidence that the Lord would answer his prayers and bring full deliverance against the 450 false prophets of Baal.
Elijah prayed, “‘Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You are turning their hearts back again’” (1 Kings 18:37). Elijah longed for God to answer and utterly consume his sacrifice so that the Lord would be glorified and that others would know that He alone is God. “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God” (Isaiah 45:5).
“Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The Lord—He is God! The Lord—He is God!’” (1 Kings 18: 38-39).
The people saw God’s glory on full display in Elijah’s circumstances. Almighty God showed up, and the people were in awe and praised Him. God was glorified!
After Elijah’s command for the false prophets of Baal to be captured and destroyed, he ascended to the peak of Mount Carmel where he worshiped and waited expectantly for the Lord’s final deliverance—the provision of rain, ending three and a half years of drought. Elijah truly witnessed firsthand the awe-inspiring demonstration of God’s glory and the power of the Lord in deliverance and provision on Mount Carmel.
A BATTLE-WORN ELIJAH
Immediately, however, Elijah’s seasons drastically changed, turning from a season of assurance and steadfast faith into a season of doubt and unbelief. Upon receiving news that Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife, was threatening to take his life, “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life” (1 Kings 19:3).
He then traveled a day’s journey into the desert, sat trembling under a broom tree, and prayed that he might die. (see 1 Kings 19:4)
Elijah—courageous, confident, bold, and full of the Lord’s power—had just witnessed the glory of the Lord on full display. But now, he is cowered under a tree—discouraged, fearful, hopeless, and longing to die. What has changed in Elijah? Why is the Elijah on the mountaintop different from the Elijah in the desert valley? The Sovereign Lord is still ruling and reigning on the mountaintop as He is in the valley. The Lord had not abandoned Elijah, yet doubt and discouragement has come upon him.
What we see in Elijah is what happens to us all—Elijah became BATTLE-WORN. Elijah needed a season of rest, refreshment, and revival.
Like Elijah, are we tempted to give in to the doubt and discouragement of our desolate valleys, allowing our circumstances and emotions to sway us away from a consistent and steadfast faith in our faithful God and His promises to us? If so, may we learn from Elijah’s example of what is truly needed.
A SEASON OF RESTING
Elijah was discouraged, hungry, thirsty, and exhausted—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He needed a season of refreshment.
We all need seasons of rest and refreshment. We all need the Lord’s presence, provision, assurance, and encouragement.
Elijah desperately needed the Lord’s presence and provision in this season of despondency. Elijah’s heart needed to be filled up again with hope and encouragement. He has been emptied and has nothing left to give—not even to himself. He has no words of truth left to preach—not even to his own soul.
Deep in his spirit, the doubts whisper—I know You just delivered, but will You do it again for me. I want to hope for hope again, but I am afraid You may not come through THIS time. I have had all that I can take, and I am done.
Elijah’s words echo the very cries of our own hearts as we too become exhausted and overwhelmed. Our thoughts turn negative, and we cannot see the good anymore, even though it is always there. We too wonder if this might be the season that His grace and faithfulness may run dry. Doubt whispers to our hearts—I know that You are faithful, Lord, but will You do it again for me in this season.
The amazing grace of God meets us here—in these seasons of doubt, when the journey is too much. In our crisis of faith, the real heart issue at its core is unbelief.
We fail to believe God is Who He says He is. We forget the past faithfulness of God and forfeit the promises of God. In that moment, we choose fear over faith. Despite our faithlessness, God is faithful.
Once again, the Lord shows up to pull Elijah out of his downward spiral of discouragement and despair. He provided Elijah exactly what He needed—encouragement to eat, drink, and rest. The Lord shared with Elijah that the journey was too great for him. Then, the Lord strengthened Elijah, enabling him to travel another forty days and forty nights back to Horeb, the mountain of God. There, he rested again. Elijah’s basic needs were met by the Lord. Our faithful God always provides for His children.
Sometimes, in our greatest times of despair, hopelessness, and doubt, we simply need a season of refreshment and encouragement. We need the practical provisions of rest, food, drink, and affirmation from the Lord’s presence. We need to know that we are not alone. As our hearts and minds are renewed, we regain strength to persevere on our journey. Our deepest needs are revealed in our desert times. When we are fearful to build hope upon hope, we need to see the glory of God revealed. Knowing He is presently with us can lift us out of our pit of despair, offering us true hope and comfort.
Reflection Questions:
- Even though God has shown Himself to be faithful time and time again in your own life, do you find yourself tempted to walk in unbelief, doubting the goodness and grace of God working in your life presently?
- If so, how can choosing to remember and reflect on God’s past faithfulness shown in your life encourage your heart in this season?
- Looking back on your life, can you recall a time when the Lord showed up and provided for you, making a way out of no way? If so, thank Him for His faithful provision for you.
- Have you experienced a time in your own life when your seasons drastically changed from a season of assurance and steadfast faith into a season of doubt and unbelief? If so, did you allow your circumstances and feelings to lead you to isolation and discouragement, or did you honestly cry out to the Lord for His discernment, perspective, and wisdom?
- Where do you run when your heart grows weary, discouraged, and battle-worn?
- Do you find yourself running to Jesus for hope and help, or do you turn to other counterfeit substitutions which fail to deliver or bring true comfort?
- When your journey is too much and you feel that you cannot press on one more step, what promise from God’s Word can you trust in and believe to battle the unbelief wrestling within your heart?
