"And Elijah came near unto all the people, and said, How long go ye limping between the two sides? if Jehovah be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." - (1 Kgs. 18:21).
The devil and Jesus were having a discussion over the backyard fence one day. The topic of conversation centered around their separate followers. They talked about how the very fence they were conferring over was itself a line of demarcation between the two respective groups. Jesus could point to a vast multitude of folks who were standing on His side of the fence; and, of course, the devil could do likewise. Suddenly there appeared a man who was balanced carefully atop the fence, on neither one side or the other. Upon beholding this scene, the devil quickly grabbed the man and pulled him onto his side. The man vehemently protested, saying he had taken a position of neutrality by sitting on the fence and was neither for nor against either Jesus or the devil. Imagine his chagrin when the devil triumphantly reported, "You don't understand, my friend, the fence belongs to me."
When it comes to standing for righteousness, there are a lot of people who would prefer to sit on the fence, be neutral and unnoticed. It's an easy and comfortable position because it calls for no commitment to anything and avoids ruffling anyone's feathers. Fence-straddlers should take to heart the lesson of the story just related, for though fictional, it imparts a startling truth, namely, fence-straddlers belong to the devil because the fence belongs to him. This was what Elijah was referring to when he talked about those who go "limping between the two sides." He challenged the people to get off the fence of noncommital and either serve God or the devil. It's still a needful exhortation today. Jesus agreed that the fence is Satan's, for He said, "He that is not with me is against me" - (Mt. 12:30). Remember, if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. THINK ABOUT IT!
Lonnie Ritchie