| 1 Kings 19 is one of the most remarkable | | | | more spacious place of saving his people. There |
| chapters in the Bible. For the depressed and lonely | | | | are times when we have to be "caved in" to |
| it is a necessary chapter, for it encourages a | | | | gather strength and to learn valuable lessons so |
| view of God as a Presence who loves in spite of | | | | we may be worthy to do God's work within the |
| what we do and what we are. It is a display of | | | | greater plan which He has for us.But what about |
| God's power, as well, and is similar to the rebuke | | | | the discouragement and physical exhaustion we |
| God gave to Job when Job questioned and | | | | experience as human beings? Does God really |
| murmured (although given similar circumstances, | | | | understand how frail we are? Yes! When we fail |
| how well would we have endured?). God | | | | and fall, He lifts us to even greater heights of |
| answered Job out of the whirlwind (Job 38:1) as | | | | work for Him. "The Lord upholds all those who fall |
| he sat on the dunghill with his friends, and He | | | | and lifts up all who are bowed down" (Psalm |
| answered Elijah in the still small voice on Mount | | | | 145:14). Our Lord's life on earth was spent in |
| Horeb, as Elijah peeked out from the cave in | | | | putting down the lofty and lifting the lowly. "But |
| which he sought to hide from the world in which | | | | many who are first will be last, and many who |
| he was so disappointed (1 Kings 19:12).Even in | | | | are last will be first" (Matthew 19:30). If we think |
| discouragement God meets us where we are, | | | | we are last in fame and fortune, we need to |
| whether we have unwillingly and unwittingly landed | | | | remind ourselves that it is the meek who God |
| on the heap of the rubbish and wreckage of life | | | | calls His children. And when we are bowed down |
| or we are hiding in a cave, away from what we | | | | with infirmities of mind and body, He reaches |
| perceive to be an inhumane humanity. He knows | | | | down to raise us from a living death.From sinking |
| whether we need the whirlwind or the soft | | | | sand He lifted me, |
| breeze to get us back on His track. God knows | | | | With tender hand He lifted me; |
| that we damage our compass of life now and | | | | From shades of night to plains of light, |
| then with the heat of our passions and the cold | | | | O praise His name, He lifted me. |
| of our indifference. Our "sense of instrumentation" | | | | (Hymn, He Lifted Me, Charles H. Gabriel, |
| becomes faulty and we head in the direction of a | | | | 1856-1932)."So he [Jesus] went to her, took her |
| living death. We need to regain the sense of | | | | hand and helped her up" (Mark 1:31). He does no |
| "mission and submission."It is interesting that Elijah, | | | | less for all his helpless children. But Jesus came |
| Moses and Jonah all requested that they be | | | | and touched them. 'Get up,' he said, 'Don't be |
| allowed to die. Listen to Jonah: "Now, O Lord, take | | | | afraid'" (Matthew 17:7). "People were also bringing |
| away my life, for it is better for me to die than | | | | babies to Jesus to have him touch them" (Luke |
| to live" (Jonah 4:3); Moses: "If this is how you | | | | 18:15). "For though a righteous man falls seven |
| [Lord] are going to treat me, put me to death | | | | times, he rises again" (Proverbs 24:16). Seven |
| right now" (Numbers 11:15); Elijah: "I have had | | | | times; seventy times seven times; whenever we |
| enough, Lord, take my life; I am no better than | | | | fall! The secret is in getting up again. What a great |
| my ancestors" (1 Kings 19:4c). Job's troubles | | | | comfort this verse is to the discouraged who |
| drove him to cursing the day he was born: "May | | | | grope for strength and find they do not even |
| the day of my birth perish..." (Job 3:3a). His | | | | have the strength to gather strength. "Being |
| existence which was a joy before has now | | | | confident of this, that he who began a good work |
| become his intolerable burden. It is good for us to | | | | in you will carry it on to completion until the day |
| know that God's greatest heroes had their | | | | of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). "For it is God who |
| moments of despair--and that there are some | | | | works in you to will and to act according to his |
| prayers God does not answer the way we would | | | | good purpose" (Philippians 2:14). The good man's |
| like.It is also good to know that one of God's | | | | fall is an event; the bent of the good man's life is |
| great heroes, Paul, said, "It is more necessary for | | | | goodness. This was so with Elijah. It was so with |
| you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this...I | | | | Peter, too. One look from our Lord and we weep |
| will continue with all of you for your progress and | | | | bitterly over our fall from His grace and |
| joy in the faith..." (Philippians 1:24,25). Paul wanted | | | | graciousness (Matthew 26:75)."The eternal God is |
| Paradise where the weary find rest, the sad find | | | | your refuge, (not a cave!), and underneath are |
| joy, the lonely find kindred spirits, the fearful find | | | | the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27). |
| safe harbor, and the doubting Thomases and | | | | Underneath our sorrow are arms that lift us to |
| Thomasenas find assurance and reassurance.But | | | | the shore of serenity. "Teacher, don't you care if |
| earthly claims checked Paul's desire, and check | | | | we drown?" (Mark 4:38). He said to their storm as |
| ours, also. He wanted to dissolve but instead | | | | He says to our chaos, "Quiet! Be still!" (v.39). "Then |
| resolved against his own wishes. Paul obviously | | | | the wind died and it was completely calm" (v.39b). |
| had no fear of dying, but his eye and heart were | | | | "Come to me, all you who are weary and |
| single to the glory of God and that meant staying | | | | burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew |
| in his earthly vessel for a while longer. In 2 | | | | 11:28)."I have made you and I will carry you" |
| Corinthians 4:16, Paul says, "Therefore we do not | | | | (Isaiah 46:4). Because He created us, He will carry |
| lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting | | | | us! What a sublime thought this is to the |
| away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by | | | | brokenhearted. "`For I know the plans I have for |
| day." We are "treasures in jars of clay."Paul also | | | | you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and |
| pleaded with God through earnest and prolonged | | | | not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a |
| prayer that an irritation be removed from his life. | | | | future'" (Jeremiah 29:11). It isn't God's plan for us |
| Paul did not take a fatalistic attitude about pain | | | | to be defeated and to run away. He will even |
| and suffering; he knew it was all right to ask God | | | | carry us to the designated place He has for us, |
| for its removal. "Three times I pleaded with the | | | | but if we are running in the wrong direction, we |
| Lord to take [the thorn] away from me. But he | | | | will run by ourselves."So we say with confidence, |
| said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my | | | | 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What |
| power is made perfect in weakness'" (2 | | | | can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:6); "If God is |
| Corinthians 12:8,9). So it is not wrong for us to | | | | for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31); "I |
| plead with God to remove a sorrow or an | | | | will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord |
| annoyance from our life. Indeed, as our Friend, He | | | | has done" (Psalm 118:17). People are often in |
| expects us to ask Him so that we may receive. | | | | danger: Joseph in the pit, Moses in the ark of |
| In the meantime, "I [Jesus] have prayed for you | | | | bulrushes, Job on the dunghill, David's narrow |
| that your faith may not fail. And when you have | | | | escapes from Saul, Paul who was let down in the |
| turned back, strengthen your brothers [and | | | | basket, and Jesus who "hid himself, slipping away |
| sisters]" (Luke 22:32). His grace is His prayer for | | | | from the temple grounds" (John 8:59) for His time |
| us. And there is a condition which Paul understood, | | | | had not yet come. "But they were furious and |
| as well: after we are strengthened, we then are | | | | began to discuss with one another what they |
| to encourage and inspire others: "Praise be to the | | | | might do to Jesus" (Luke 6:11); "If the world hates |
| God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the | | | | you, keep in mind that it hated me first...But this is |
| Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, | | | | to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated |
| who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we | | | | me without reason'" (John 15:18,25). They hated |
| can comfort those in any trouble with the | | | | without reason, only with emotion that is |
| comfort we ourselves have received from God" | | | | prejudiced. Jezebel hated Elijah because of |
| (2 Corinthians 1:3,4).Jesus asked His Father to be | | | | emotion, and Elijah ran away from this |
| spared the cup when He knelt in agony in the | | | | unreasonable woman.The extraordinary message |
| Garden. He had told his disciples, "My soul is | | | | of 1 Kings 19 is that it is God's ordinary way of |
| overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. | | | | caring for us. Lest we think God is neglecting us, |
| Stay here and keep watch with me" (Matthew | | | | let us remember that He gives provisions and not |
| 26:38). He wanted company in His agony. He asks | | | | visions when we are in distress. He uses the |
| them later, "Could you...not keep watch with me | | | | common means, rest and food: "Then he [Elijah] |
| for one hour?" (v.40). What a loving rebuke! Yes, | | | | lay down under the tree and fell asleep ("I will lie |
| Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, was acquainted with | | | | down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, |
| grief. He even prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, | | | | make me dwell in safety" Psalm 4:8). "All at once |
| may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, | | | | an angel touched him and said, 'Get up and eat'" (1 |
| but as you will" (v.39).Jesus prayed to be spared | | | | Kings 19:5). In the depths of despair we are to |
| death but He willingly died. It appears that His | | | | rest and then, bidden by God Himself, we are to |
| prayer was not answered and yet it was, for | | | | get up and to eat. He asks us to do our part. We |
| Jesus fulfilled His mission. God did not answer the | | | | must not let the seeming facts of what is |
| prayers of Moses, Elijah, Jonah or Job, for their | | | | happening in our life to eclipse our faith and |
| missions were not yet fulfilled. All prayers were | | | | obscure our vision of God and so keep us from |
| and are answered because strength was and is | | | | going to Him as He comes to us."The angel of the |
| given to meet the trials; finally, God's will was and | | | | Lord came back a second time and touched him |
| is done in all lives. What we wish does not | | | | and said, 'Get up and eat, for the journey is too |
| determine God's will, whether we wish the release | | | | much for you'" (1 Kings 19:7). Not once but twice |
| of death or the pleasures of life. It is God who | | | | he is bidden to arise from his lethargy of body |
| determines the courses and discourses of our | | | | and spirit and eat for strength so he might |
| lives.In our fears and griefs of life, and the | | | | continue on his journey. God does not give up on |
| seeming unfairness of what others do, we run | | | | us! "So [Elijah] got up and ate and drank. |
| away just as quickly as Elijah from Jezebel and | | | | Strengthened by that food, he traveled..." (1 Kings |
| Jonah from Nineveh and Moses from Egypt. We, | | | | 19:8). God prepared a table in the wilderness for |
| too, would like to shed the skin, the lien--the | | | | His beloved Elijah who thought he had failed God. |
| terrible obligation--of our life. We, too, feel that we | | | | What a glorious lesson! Surely He prepares a table |
| are no better than our predecessors; in fact, we | | | | for us in our wilderness and provides for us a |
| may be making a huge mess of life. "But I said, 'I | | | | satisfying Bread of Life. We are to feed on Him |
| have labored to no purpose; I have spent my | | | | that we may have the strength to live in and for |
| strength in vain and for nothing...'" (Isaiah 49:4). | | | | Him."The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" |
| When Keats was dying, he said, "I have written | | | | (Mark 14:38b). Christ Jesus could say this to His |
| my name on water." Later, Keats' name was | | | | beloved disciples who slept through His lonely hour |
| written on marble. Christ Himself would be | | | | because He, too, knew rejection and sorrow and |
| perceived as a total failure on earth--and Christ's | | | | hunger and weariness to the extreme degree. |
| name is written on hearts and for eternity.The | | | | God understands that we are not willfully weak. |
| good news is that God is there in the whirlwind of | | | | On the one hand, we have sins of infirmity; on |
| tragedy and failure and He's in the still small voice | | | | the other, we have infirmities that are not sins: |
| of conscience, too. He knows our frame, that we | | | | fatigue, natural consequences of growing older, |
| are made of dust and fragile hearts; He redeems | | | | hunger, thirst, environment and heredity. This |
| our life and crowns us with His love and | | | | does not excuse us from overcoming, but it helps |
| compassion. Praise the Lord, O my soul! (Psalm | | | | to know that God empathizes with us because |
| 103).Some have condemned Elijah for running | | | | "He took up our infirmities and carried our |
| away from Jezebel and for requesting that God | | | | sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4). "In the same way, the |
| take his life. But there is another side--certainly a | | | | Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know |
| more humane view--of what Elijah experienced. | | | | what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself |
| Elijah's fire on Carmel became a more gentle | | | | intercedes for us with groans that words cannot |
| breeze on Mount Horeb and he learned treasured | | | | express" (Romans 8:26).It is after we are |
| lessons there, alone and friendless (so he thought) | | | | strengthened that He deals with the immediate |
| that he could not learn in the heat of the so-called | | | | problem: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 |
| victory over the false prophets of Baal. Even | | | | Kings 19:9b); "But the Lord God called to the man, |
| Elijah had to learn that great lesson we all must | | | | 'Where are you?'" (Genesis 3:9); "Then the Lord |
| learn: "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take | | | | said to Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?'" |
| heart and wait for the Lord" (Psalm | | | | (Genesis 4:9). God asks us, too, why are we |
| 27:14).Sometimes, like Elijah, we have to be put in | | | | where we are and what are we doing with our |
| a cave to get out of a "cave mood," as one | | | | lives. We are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, |
| author calls it. "There he went into a cave and | | | | and this means being responsible and acting |
| spent the night" (1 Kings 19:9). Elijah was shut into | | | | responsibly: both a willing and a doing.Elijah ran |
| his littleness so he might understand the largeness | | | | away from his responsibilities. Adam and Eve ran |
| that God was about to show him. God was | | | | away from responsibility for their actions. Elijah's |
| processing Elijah for a greater work. "He [God] | | | | circumstances did not add up to reasons to run |
| brought me into a spacious place" (Psalm | | | | away and neither do ours, much as we long to do |
| 18:19a).There is a dichotomy here with Elijah: he | | | | so at times. "I can do everything through him |
| fled to save his life and then asks that it be taken | | | | who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13).Only God |
| away. We are all dichotomous leaves waving with | | | | knows our quiet and pervasive influence in the |
| the winds of what we perceive to be misfortune | | | | lives of those with whom we endure, and that is |
| when it might be the breath of the Lord trying to | | | | what it is at times in our lives. If we are not |
| bring breadth to our life. It was so with Elijah as | | | | where God wants us to be, then God calls us by |
| he swayed with the strong squall of Jezebel's | | | | name and lets us know through that still, small and |
| threats. Moses, too, struck for God's cause but | | | | effective voice of conscience: silent because no |
| not in God's way: "One day [Moses] watched [his | | | | sound is audible ("He will not shout or cry out, or |
| own people] at their hard labor. He saw an | | | | raise his voice in the streets" Isaiah 42:2); small |
| Egyptian beating a Hebrew...He killed the Egyptian..." | | | | because it is simple and not portentous; effective |
| (Exodus 2:11,12). God sent Moses into the desert | | | | because it is God who speaks: it is the Divine |
| to prepare his heart and body and mind for the | | | | Whisper of Mind to mind. |