Elijah

I find Elijah fascinating and inspiring. He was such a powerful man of God. He pronounced the curse of drought on the land and then hid for 3 years, first in the desert and then with the widow and her son (remember the oil and flour that never ran out?). He then took on Ahab and 450 prophets of Baal. What an awesome story that is! Then he runs for his life in fear of Jezebel. He’s afraid and discouraged and feeling alone. He went from the height of being used by God to depression, discouragement, and fear. At that point, an angel of the Lord comes and ministers to him, saying, “get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” He is strengthened enough to travel on to the Mountain of God, a journey of 40 days and nights. The food of God must be rather amazing. And then he stands in the presence of the Lord. God wasn’t in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, He came in the gentle whisper, and Elijah stood before God and poured out his heart and his fears. The Lord answered him by giving him a job to do and by telling him he is not alone, there are in fact 7000 true believers still in Israel. Elijah gets up and goes on to do what God has told him to do.

I love Elijah because he is used so powerfully by God, and immediately after that he runs in fear. This is so like me. How can we be this way? How can we see God work in a mighty way and then be overtaken by fear? I don’t know. But it encourages me to read about his life and see that God doesn’t berate him or punish him; rather, God feeds him and encourages him, and even entrusts him with another task.

Thank you Lord, for using me, for feeding and encouraging me, and for entrusting Your Work to me. And God, thank You for the Holy Spirit who indwells me all the time. Keep me aware of Your presence.