Love That Never Fails

71. I Have Had Enough!

Have you ever been surprised at how quickly a triumphant moment can be followed  by a downward spiral? This was Elijah's experience, as he had encountered what he considered the triumph over the prophets of Baal and witnessed the coming of God's provision in sending rain, only to find himself on the run from Queen Jezebel, who wanted to kill him!

"Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."

Even this great prophet of the Lord found himself at a very low point in his life! We too can get exhausted while working in whatever way God has called us to serve Him.  Many experience burn out and feel they have nothing left to give. This year people of all ages have found that the challenges brought about by COVID-19, have made them particularly tired.  Perhaps you have even said those same words as Elijah, 'I have had enough!'.  We can easily find ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually fatigued and we just need to rest as Elijah did:

Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you."

So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.

And the word of the Lord came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?""
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19:3-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I love the way that God provides for Elijah in his weakened condition and allows him to just rest. We should not feel guilty about taking time out in order to refresh our mind, body and spirit. God will provide for us and gently nudge us when it's time to get back on our feet. Notice that in order to get him back on track, God meets Elijah's physical needs before turning to the emotional and spiritual. He listens to Elijah's concerns:

"He replied, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

This is so beautiful and a great reminder that God doesn't always speak in the way we expect. He comes to Elijah with a gentle whisper! Perhaps in all the noise of this  world pandemic, we need to stop and be still so we can hear God's voice. He really does want to speak to us and bring us clear directions as he does with Elijah:

Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

He replied, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

The Lord said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet."
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19:10-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Sometimes we can find ourselves completely off track despite our best intentions to serve God. Even now you might sense God asking you, 'What are you doing here?'. Perhaps you sense your body is crying out for rest before you can even enter into a conversation with God. He knows everything about you and understands your current needs. Just listen for His whisper, as He gently leads you on. God is more than ready for whatever difficult situation you may be in. He will lift you up and set you off in the right direction!

Let's pray:

Heavenly Father,

I am so encouraged by this account of this season in Elijah's ministry. I see Your love as Your angels cared for this tired out prophet. I see Your compassion as You waited until he was strong enough to talk.  I see Your grace as You took this fearful man, who just wanted to hide and gave him new direction.

Lord I have had enough this year! Please give me the rest and refreshment I need in this season of life. I want to hear Your voice clearly even at this time when there seems to be one storm after another!

Help me to be still and know that You are God. May I be ready to hear Your gentle whisper, comforting and guiding me as I move forward. Thank You that You listen to my problems, just as You patiently listened to Elijah.

I love You Lord and just want to serve You faithfully.

Amen.