Am I the Only One?
Posted on Wednesday, April 3, 2019 by
by Doug Jonson, YFC Leader since 2006
“Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18 NIV).
After 12 years of working with youth in the Hilltop and City Life, my role has changed to connecting in communities around Pierce County, and bringing like-minded people together to start new ministry sites in their schools and communities. In this process, I have often identified with the prophet Elijah. After watching God dramatically defeat the 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah — which should leave no doubt of God’s power, goodness, and steadfastness — Elijah fled to the wilderness, where he famously complained, “I am the only one left,” and wallowed in discouragement and futility.
Likewise, there are many times — after watching God provide time and time again — I have experienced discouragement and feelings of futility, and wondered aloud, “God, doesn’t anyone have a heart for this community? Doesn’t anyone have a passion to reach the kids in this community?”
Despite the absurdity of questioning God’s faithfulness to provide and equip, God has been gracious in His response with both Elijah and me. He told Moses, “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18 NIV). In other words, “You’re crazy (and arrogant) to think that you’re the only one who cares. I have an army of my people set aside who are wildly devoted to Me.” And despite my lapses of unbelief and discouragement, he continues to faithfully answer very specific prayers and reveal to me His people that he has set aside to advance His Kingdom — one school at a time, one jail cell at a time, one neighborhood at a time.
I’ve been praying for Stewart Middle School for over a year, and yesterday I had smoothies with someone who has been volunteering there on his own and working any part-time job that the school has — just so that he can build relationships with students there. He was a student at Stewart, and as a young adult, entered into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ — and now he wants these kids to experience this same life-changing relationship. We shared with him about Campus Life, and how we would love to have one at Stewart. I told him about our camps, and that he could have the opportunity to bring kids that he’s been mentoring at the school. He started to cry, imagining the opportunity to give his kids this experience.
This is one of God’s faithful soldiers in His army that he has on reserve for Pierce County. God continues to bring me into relationship with other faithful soldiers in His army — the moms in Orting and Parkland who have had a burden to get onto their campuses and reach youth at their kids’ schools who haven’t grown up in the church; the man who wants to mentor and show love to the youth who have experienced homelessness; the woman who wants to mentor girls who have been victimized and trafficked; the man who wants to get onto the school where his youth group kids’ friends attend; the woman who wants to go into an online school and walk alongside the teen moms who are enrolled there.
God has set aside an army of His faithful followers. Would you like to join the army?
Visit tacomayfc.org/join to learn more about partnering with Tacoma Area Youth For Christ to bring life changing relationships to the youth of Pierce County through serving, praying, or giving.