We are in revival this week and last night the preacher's message was on discouragement. He preached out of 1 Kings 19 where Elijah runs from Jezebel into the wilderness and sits down under a juniper tree where he asked God to let him die. Now that is someone who is definitely discouraged!! We've all heard this story multiple times and probably each one had a different take on why Elijah ran. I'm sure all of us ladies have heard the joke made about how brave he was with 450 prophets of Baal and yet ran from one woman. There are many lessons for us to learn. The preacher last night talked about his fear and his fatigue. But I also saw something new in the story that really made me have a compassion for Elijah.
Think about this with me. Elijah has just been in this huge display of God's power when he had the contest on Mt. Carmel with the prophets of Baal. And God had moved in such a miraculous, powerful way that not only was the offering drenched in water consumed but the prophets of Baal were killed, 450 of them. That is about the # of the entire high school in GA where the girls attended. Just let that soak in. God had most certainly proved himself to be the true God of Israel! And yet, we read of no great revival. The leadership of the nation Ahab and his wife Jezebel were not moved at all. She was STILL trusting in her gods. Can you imagine how discouraging that would be?
Our pastors study, pray and prepare every week to stand in hopes that someone in the congregation will be helped, touched, or a lost soul saved; yet we all know there are many services where it seems no one moves and no difference is made. How great is the need for us to lift the man of God up in prayer so that he does not fall prey to discouragement.
Elijah was human just like us and I'm sure he had hopes of a great revival and that his obedience would be blessed. Instead, he only saw a hardening of hearts and threats on his life. Ladies, I'd have been under that Juniper tree with him I'm sure. Would you?
I don't want to ever judge Elijah for his time spent under the juniper tree....God sure didn't...he sent an angel to feed him and gave him rest. He knows our humanity. Let's be angels here on earth to those who minister in our local churches and pray, pray, pray for them.
1 comment:
I just L-O-V-E the story of Elijah! He helps me realize that even the greatest have moments of feeling so alone! But, if we just wait on the Lord, he will send that angel to sustain us, and then help us get out of that lonely rut, and give us a companion, too. Elisha was just there waiting for him!
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