Godfidence…Never FORGET…

If you have not read this series on Godfidence do so here…

The third way we can get Godfidence in our life is…

3. Never FORGET God’s Faithfulness

Too many times we tend to forget what God has done for us in the past. We get so caught up in the moment that the remembrance of His faithfulness can sometimes fade away. One of the greatest ways to lose faith and Godfidence is to forget how He has come through before! We can’t allow ourselves to let the present steal His faithfulness from the past. If God came through before, He can do it again!

I have to admit that I have been driving to my in-laws house for almost 11 years now, and I just finally got there on my own not too long ago. They live in the backroads of the country and every time we have driven there I am either talking, thinking, or listening. I rely on my wife to tell my each and every turn (and there are a lot). I was so proud the first time I made it without having to ask. I always forgot the turns each time we went out there.

Just like I forgot the turns and wouldn’t have been able to get to my in-laws house, we too can forget what God has done for us and are in danger of missing His faithfulness. The Bible encourages us to always remember and to speak of the faithfulness of God. Why does it say this? So we never FORGET how amazing God is. For some reason we have a tendency to misplace the faithfulness of God like we do our car keys.

Elijah had this problem in the Bible check out how much Godfidence he had and how God used him in incredible ways…

1 Kings 18:19-40

Call together everyone from Israel and have them meet me on Mount Carmel. Be sure to bring along the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.

20 Ahab got everyone together, then they went to meet Elijah on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the Lord is God, worship him! But if Baal is God, worship him!”

The people did not say a word.

22 Then Elijah continued:

I am the Lord’s only prophet, but Baal has four hundred fifty prophets.

23 Bring us two bulls. Baal’s prophets can take one of them, kill it, and cut it into pieces. Then they can put the meat on the wood without lighting the fire. I will do the same thing with the other bull, and I won’t light a fire under it either.

24 The prophets of Baal will pray to their god, and I will pray to the Lord. The one who answers by starting the fire is God.

“That’s a good idea,” everyone agreed.

25 Elijah said to Baal’s prophets, “There are more of you, so you go first. Pick out a bull and get it ready, but don’t light the fire. Then pray to your god.”

26 They chose their bull, then they got it ready and prayed to Baal all morning, asking him to start the fire. They danced around the altar and shouted, “Answer us, Baal!” But there was no answer.

27 At noon, Elijah began making fun of them. “Pray louder!” he said. “Baal must be a god. Maybe he’s day-dreaming or using the toilet or traveling somewhere. Or maybe he’s asleep, and you have to wake him up.”

28 The prophets kept shouting louder and louder, and they cut themselves with swords and knives until they were bleeding. This was the way they worshiped, 29 and they kept it up all afternoon. But there was no answer of any kind.

30 Elijah told everyone to gather around him while he repaired the Lord’s altar. 31-32 Then he used twelve stones to build an altar in honor of the Lord. Each stone stood for one of the tribes of Israel, which was the name the Lord had given to their ancestor Jacob. Elijah dug a ditch around the altar, large enough to hold about thirteen quarts. 33 He placed the wood on the altar, then they cut the bull into pieces and laid the meat on the wood.

He told the people, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it over the meat and the wood.” After they did this, 34 he told them to do it two more times. They did exactly as he said 35 until finally, the water ran down the altar and filled the ditch.

36 When it was time for the evening sacrifice, Elijah prayed:

Our Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Now, prove that you are the God of this nation, and that I, your servant, have done this at your command. 37 Please answer me, so these people will know that you are the Lord God, and that you will turn their hearts back to you.

38 The Lord immediately sent fire, and it burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones. It scorched the ground everywhere around the altar and dried up every drop of water in the ditch.39 When the crowd saw what had happened, they all bowed down and shouted, “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!”

40 Just then, Elijah said, “Grab the prophets of Baal! Don’t let any of them get away.”

So the people captured the prophets and took them to Kishon River, where Elijah killed every one of them.

WOW! Elijah is doing these incredible things for God and he is in the faith zone, but look what happens just a few verses later…

1 Kings 19:1-9

19 Ahab told his wife Jezebel what Elijah had done and that he had killed the prophets. 2 She sent a message to Elijah: “You killed my prophets. Now I’m going to kill you! I pray that the gods will punish me even more severely if I don’t do it by this time tomorrow.”

3 Elijah was afraid when he got her message, and he ran to the town of Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 4 then walked another whole day into the desert. Finally, he came to a large bush and sat down in its shade. He begged the Lord, “I’ve had enough. Just let me die! I’m no better off than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down in the shade and fell asleep.

Suddenly an angel woke him up and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 Elijah looked around, and by his head was a jar of water and some baked bread. He sat up, ate and drank, then lay down and went back to sleep.

7 Soon the Lord’s angel woke him again and said, “Get up and eat, or else you’ll get too tired to travel.” 8 So Elijah sat up and ate and drank.

The food and water made him strong enough to walk forty more days. At last, he reached Mount Sinai, the mountain of God, 9 and he spent the night there in a cave.

Elijah went from the mountaintop to the cave in a short time. He forgot God’s faithfulness and made Jezebel bigger than God! He feared her rather than having faith in God’s power! How do you go from calling fire down on the mountaintop with 450 enemies that want to kill you to hiding in a cave from one woman? Answer: Forgetting God’s faithfulness.

In order to have Godfidence you have to always remember God’s ability and His track record. If not in your life, look at His word! He will always come through! Whatever situation you are facing know that God is faithful and will work His will through it all! Trust Him, don’t allow the present situations determine the future that God has for you! Speak of His faithfulness, declare His wonders, and believe in His power! That is Godfidence!