Elijah. Wow. This walk back through the whole of the Bible is teaching me new things all the way!
So Elijah is this powerful prophet - and a man who loves God and follows him diligently. Even putting him in positions where his life is at risk! From very powerful people! But he stands with God behind him. And he knows it! So he speaks out against corruption! Shares God's mind, enduring the backlash it brings him!
Until the day he runs.
He has just stood in an epic battle against the prophets of Baal worship, so the people could see who the real God was! They were so conflicted, that when this people who were supposed to be God's, were confronted with the ultimatum to choose who they belonged to ... there were crickets!!
That's right - everyone shuffled uncomfortably and no one said "God". Until the prophets of Baal showed that their god was useless, and fire came down from heaven and licked up the water sodden offering in answer to Elijah. Then they chose!! And the prophets of Baal were wiped out! (Now, before you feel too sorry for these guys, they had had the people throwing their infants into flames while indulging in wild orgies around them so that they could ensure fertility of the land. We would have been horrified too! And God wanted that completely gone!)
Then, just to emphasise that God was the giver of life to the land, not Baal, a deluge came out of what began as "not a cloud in sight!", to break the drought God had started to try and wake them up! Elijah had spoken, prayed, and God had answered! And then he'd run in the storm, faster than King Ahab's chariot! - all the way into town!!! What powerful experiences he'd had!!
There was only one problem - King Ahab had a wife called Jezebel. Those prophets of Baal were hers!!! And she was furious with the way Elijah had dealt with them!!! And the message came through to him that she intended to deal him a similar end. And just like that, his courage was gone, and he ran!!!
And he ran as far as he could from her! Then he slumped under a bush, deeply despondent, feeling terribly alone against all the evil in this world, and asked God for the release of death.
Wow. What a contrast! But here's the thing. God didn't say "Seriously Elijah???? What's with you??? You just saw me do amazing things!!! And now you want to throw in the towel???" Instead, he let him rest. God knew he was spent. Then he woke him to freshly cooked bread, and water for his thirst. Bread baked by an angel, no less! Then he let him rest some more. Then more food and water. Before sending him off on a soul searching journey. To know his God more deeply. To restore in him the courage for the change that must come.
And when did this story and thoughts come to me? Just after my post about how struggling with life affects even those who are strongest in trusting God. He does things like that for me. Sends me little messages of encouragement when I'm low. And I love him for it. That's my God ❤️
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