First of Kings 19
Even prophets lay down under trees. Even heroes get tired.
Then Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
At that Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying: “So may the gods do to me and add to it if by this time tomorrow I do not make you like each one of them!”
At that he became afraid, so he got up and ran for his life. He came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and he left his attendant there.
He went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree, and he asked that he might die. He said: “It is enough! Now, O Jehovah, take my life away, for I am no better than my forefathers.”
Then he lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree. But suddenly an angel touched him and said to him: “Get up and eat.” When he looked, there at his head was a round loaf on heated stones and a jug of water. He ate and drank and lay down again.
Later the angel of Jehovah came back a second time and touched him and said: “Get up and eat, for the journey will be too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank, and in the strength of that nourishment he went on for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of the true God.
There he entered a cave and spent the night; and look! Jehovah’s word came to him, telling him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
To this he said: “I have been absolutely zealous for Jehovah the God of armies; for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, your altars they have torn down, and your prophets they have killed with the sword, and I am the only one left. Now they are seeking to take my life away.”
But He said: “Go out and stand on the mountain before Jehovah.” And look! Jehovah was passing by, and a great and strong wind was splitting mountains and breaking crags before Jehovah, but Jehovah was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but Jehovah was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire, but Jehovah was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a calm, low voice.
As soon as Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his official garment and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice asked him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
To this he said: “I have been absolutely zealous for Jehovah the God of armies; for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, your altars they have torn down, and your prophets they have killed with the sword, and I am the only one left. Now they are seeking to take my life away.”
Jehovah said to him: “Return, and go to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. And you should anoint Jehu the grandson of Nimshi as king over Israel, and you should anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet to take your place. Anyone escaping from Hazael’s sword, Jehu will put to death; and anyone escaping from Jehu’s sword, Elisha will put to death. And I still have left seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bent down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
So he went from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat while he was plowing with twelve pairs of bulls ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth pair. So Elijah went over to him and threw his official garment on him.
At that he left the bulls and ran after Elijah and said: “Please, let me kiss my father and my mother. Then I will follow you.” He replied to him: “Go, return, for what have I done to stop you?”
So he went back and took a pair of bulls and sacrificed them, and he used the plowing gear to boil the meat of the bulls and gave it to the people, and they ate. After that he rose up and followed Elijah and began to minister to him.
I've been using this lately to encourage my friends. Today, it's feeling like I need to meditate on applying it to myself. I'm finding I have a lot of anxiety about what comes next. My life has transformed unexpected and unrecognizably in the last year.
I think of it as hero-to-zero. I know this is wrong thinking. I'm not a zero. Evidence of that is in the trust that still lies with me. Certainly, losing what I consider the privilege of a lifetime is contributing to my failure syndrome. Like a
The wind I seem powerless to stop it from blowing. All I can do is hold on and wait to see what happens.
Insert appropriate sailing analogy here. Hoist those sails and wield the wind!!!
I trust my God, he's never let me down. In this account, Elisha wanted death over what he was facing. But what he got instead was a hug and encouragement to keep moving.
Just keep swimming.
I think I’m in the ugly ducking phase between executing all of those nasty liars and running to Horeb.
He was a deeply faithful man. I guess my concern stems from my perceived lack of faith. Lack of obedience. But, I also think I'm doing the best I can. God's word says that's all we have to do. Our best.
I think I'll say a prayer and go to sleep. Let's see if I wake up to a loaf of bread.
Or at least dream of one.
I’d better start warming up.
Love always,
Charlie
#biblereading #1kings #confession #memoir
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