Spiritual giants don't come too much larger than Elijah, yet we see this man of God cowering under a desert bush before the perceived threat of a wicked woman...and this just days after Elijah saw God use him to utterly destroy hundreds of prophets of Baal.

Those under the old covenant weren't the only ones to struggle with faith and belief. All of the disciples showed signs of unbelief. Some were doubters of reported fact they hadn't seen with their own eyes while others chose to not believe even while they stared into the eyes of Christ.

In this life we move from crisis to crisis. We are imperfect souls never designed to rest on the mountaintop of unmoveable faith. Much of our life is about a journey through shadowy valleys where our faith even at its brightest is but a dim ember compared to what it will be when we are planted eternally at the feet of the Author of Faith.

None of this excuses us from what Jesus instructed His disciples and the father of the child in Mark 9. As we recognize our lack of faith we should call out to the Lord to help our unbelief. And we must burn His words deep into our hearts when He says, "This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting."

We see the evidence of much unbelief all around us as we choose to not believe that God can deliver us from apathetic benchwarmers, stingy "givers", ferocious tongue-waggers, deceitful manipulators, lazy "servants", and prayerless decision makers. Our unbelief will leave us sterile when it comes to reaching our communities and growing the Kingdom. It is one thing to have a moment of unbelief, it is quite another to dwell there. Remaining there brings death.

Regarding faith and unbelief, where do you live?