They were tears of submission. Like … God, I’m done fighting you on this. You win. I’m done trying to figure out the “why?”. I’m done creating imaginary conflict inside the depths of my mind in order to justify this distance. I’m acknowledging what you always conjure up within me when you want me to know that it’s time to move on: a feeling of discomfort. I’m listening. I’m siding with you on this one. I just don’t understand why you’d tell me through our conversations that you’d want me to find a new tribe.
The story of Elijah and Elisha came up in Bible Study. In that space, we spoke about living in two kingdoms — the earthly and heavenly — and how we have access to the heavenly realm through Jesus by way of our conversations through prayer and through Word. We have access to the same power and the might of the prophets. We can put on the armor of God. We, too, are protected by the same forces that kept those who were believed to have the closest proximity to God. What’s there to fear when you have God’s army right with you?
This year has been a lesson about having faith or fear. Fight like Ephesians 6 — the armor of God — or run away and submit to our earthly emotions of fear, doubt and disappointment. I learned that fear that can be an idol and that we serve a God that forbids false idolatry in Her kingdom. We fear being alone, we fear the worst in our lives and in the lives of other people. We fear God’s wrath for past decisions. We fear never being loved.
It’s easy to fear when you forget Who — and that army — you already have. All of what I heard that night was a reminder of what I’ve learned through my personal one-on-one time with the Creator: faith over fear. But the story of Elijah and Elisha struck me most because it reminded of why I went to Bible Study in the first place: learning how to let go and let God move you forward.
ciara roslyn-james 