1 Kings 19:1a, 2-3a, 4-8 - Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done .... Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow." Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life ... But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers." And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, "Arise and eat." And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you." And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
This story of Elijah the prophet comforts me, because we see him at his weakest point—and it looks remarkably like mine. Just days before God did miracles through Elijah in front of all Israel—raining down fire from heaven, and then breaking the drought on Israel and saving thousands of lives.
If I were Elijah, I would have been thinking, "Okay, everything's going to be fine now. The people will follow God, and King Ahab will listen to me and do what is right." But that's not what happened. Instead the king's wife threatened his life, and Elijah had to run for it. All those miracles and glory, and it came down to this: a tired, beaten man sleeping under a tree, wishing he were dead.
But God was still there, even in the defeat and the quietness and the despair of His servant. But this time it wasn't the brilliant glory of fire from heaven. Instead, it was something very simple and quiet—a little food, a jar of water. Not much, but it was enough. Elijah ate and drank and slept, and then he was ready to pay attention to God when he got to Mount Horeb.
God did not blame him for being worn out—for being sad and afraid and unable to see beyond his present troubles. God didn't say to him, "Where is your faith?" God was gentle with him, and gave him the basics he needed to get back up again. God gave him time and rest and grace to recover.
God does this for us, too. If you are in a bad place, don't worry that God will yell at you or tell you that you are too weak for Him. Do what Elijah did, and tell your trouble to God. Tell Him the truth of how you feel. See what He will do next. The God who gave His own life for you, so that you could be His own, will not abandon you. The One who rose from the dead will raise you up also.
THE PRAYER: Lord, when I am broken, heal me and raise me up. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. What do you do when you're afraid and sad?
2. Tell about a time when you were grieving and someone comforted you.
3. Have you ever felt like you were at rock bottom in your life? How did God reach out to you?
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 120-122 2 Thessalonians 2
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