1 Kings 19: 1-8
In 1 Kings 19, the reader sees a completely different Elijah altogether from 1 Kings 18. Here, the passage presents an Elijah who is timid, frightened, discouraged, depressed and who is now praying to die, exhausted with his life and just completely fed up and worn out. Sadly enough, we all get there sometimes, overwhelmingly frustrated and at our wits end! Life and the circumstances of life can conspire to bring us there, cast down and desperately alone. This is even a little more complicated when you compare and contrast this Elijah to the Elijah of the previous chapter.
There he stands in his prophetic glory, performing the miraculous, calling down fire from heaven, denouncing and overthrowing the diabolical priests of Baal. What a difference a day can make! How easily our circumstances and fortunes can be turned around! It can happen to all of us. After one time, comes a next! For sure, we are always on the mountaintop!
Let us, as the people and servants of God be always so careful to remain guarded and always on the watch, especially after moments of great manifestations of God’s glory. Seemingly this is when the enemy of our souls attacks the most. After great periods of light and victory, the evil one comes in like a flood. He storms in to attempt to reassert himself. He hates giving up any territory, so he comes after us with vengeful force and authority. He throws a terrible temper tantrum. He literally threatens us, with the specific intention of dramatically overthrowing us, sinking us into great depression where we despair even of life (v4). However, may we go real Pentecostal on him at this point and declare, “But the devil is a liar!”
We shall not be defeated. No weapon that is formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). Yes, he is after our very lives (v2), but may we always remember that the same God that was on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:37) shall fight for us and visit with us in the wilderness (1 Kings 19:4). Jehovah is on the mountain and Jehovah is also in the desert- experiences of our lives.
It inspires us to know that the God of Elijah also met him in the wilderness and came looking after him under the Juniper tree (v5). In the dark night of his soul the Divine One visited with him. In the winter of his despair, in the barrenness of his lonely soul, the angel of the most high God came specifically to minister to him at his point of need. Yes saints, He will come after you. He knows exactly where you are at, and the beautiful thing is that He will never leave you there to languish and die. He told him to get up and eat (v5). He divinely touched him (v5).
First, the Lord allows him to get away from it all, then to sleep and to rest a while. Sometimes to serve effectively, to last a little longer, some of us may have to learn how to get away from it all at least for a while, until we are recommissioned (v15). Help us God to learn the therapeutic benefits of proper rest and diet again (1 Kings 19:5-7; Psalm 3:5; Psalm 4:8). May we relearn the blessing of a good night’s rest and good, healthy nutrition, as exemplified here.
The angel of the Lord declared to Elijah, “. . . Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee” (v7). As we read, we cannot help but observe the interplay between the natural and the spiritual. I pray that by His grace, we may also be practical – Get away sometimes, sleep well, eat right and exercise! As we do our part, He will do the rest.
Leroy V. Greenaway
Presiding Bishop – Northeast Region
