THE “EDGE”

“The Edge”

“And when he SAW that, he arose, and went for his life… into the wilderness” —1 Kings 19:3-4

Up to this point in Elijah’s life, he had his eyes on the Lord. But the written threat from Jezebel took his eyes off the Lord and he ran.

There is a saying in the military—“The tough man is the guy who has got the edge.” That is, a man is only as tough as the situation plays to his individual strengths. For example: If I got in the ring against world Welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather (45-0 w/ 25 KO’s), I’d be out cold in less than 10 seconds.  However if you put him against me in leading a Bible study, I’d have him hands down. Why? Because when it comes to the Bible, I’ve got “the edge” and he doesn’t. Or, if a cop pulled me over for speeding, I would not talk to him like I do when I’m preaching from a pulpit.  Why?  Because he has “the edge.”  You need to be careful about who you get tough with. A wise man is a man who knows when he has “the edge” and when he doesn’t. Therefore, he will choose his battles accordingly.

In the contest on Mt Carmel, Elijah had “the edge” because he was focused on God.  But when it came to dealing with an angry and resentful woman, he lost “the edge.”  There is something about an angry, contentious, vengeful woman that will put most any man to flight— “It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman” (Prov. 21:19; 25:24 cf. Neh. 6:14).

Like Peter when he took his eyes off the Lord and looked at the stormy waves, he began to sink. When Elijah got his eyes off the Lord (1 Kings 19:3), he lost “the edge,” and ran for his life to the wilderness.

To keep “the edge” in your life, keep your eyes on the Lord and walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16).