HILLSIDE HELPS- “What doest thou here Elijah? And he said I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”(1 Kings 19:9b-10) Fear can drive people to do make rash decisions and come to wrong conclusions in life. There may be one or more fears that alter the course of one’s life. IE: the fear of failure, disaster, sickness, or death. Such was the case of Elijah. He was strong in faith, but because he believed Jezebel’s death threat, Elijah ran away in fear for his life and hid alone in the desert. He is curled up under a shrub in the wilderness and fast asleep. He had given up on his call and saw himself as the only one who had remained faithful and now was as good as dead. Those who have been through periods of discouragement and depression can identify with Elijah. When discouraged or disappointed, we can find ourselves isolated from others and dealing with the “all alone” syndrome. The focus is on the deficiencies and fault of others, all that’s wrong in the world, and the soon coming doomsday end of life. The Lord knows at all times what any of us are facing, feeling, saying, or thinking. As a loving Father, He looks on us with grace and compassion. He pities us as children, but doesn’t pacify us with quick fixes. Knowing the end from the beginning, He lovingly provides precisely what we need to get going again for His glory. God tended to Elijah’s needs through a process of time and provisions of an angel. Elijah slept, but was awakened by the touch of an angel, that came to his aid. He ate “angel food cake” and drank “heaven sent water”. After more rest, God’s angel appeared a second time to touch him, feed him, and tell him of God’s future plans. This plan included leaving the desert and taking a trip back to the mountain; but this time Mt. Horeb. You see, Elijah may have for a time given up on God, but God never gave up on Elijah. For each of us God has a plan and purpose. At times, we may become discouraged and want to give up, but God lovingly awakens us out of our sleep, restores our soul, encourages our heart, rekindles the fire of our faith, and sends us on to new heights. The time this restoration requires may vary. For Elijah, the trip to the mountain would not be quick. Instead, it would take him forty days to make the journey that typically took only twenty days. God knew Elijah needed “time” to build up His spiritual strength and be prepared for the challenges ahead. Today, God promises to tend to our every need, no matter to what depths of discouragement we have fallen. He knows all about us and has a plan of recovery. We must ask ourselves three simple questions: Where am I? How did I get here? What am I going to do about it? God has answers for each of you if you are willing to ask. God will, in His time, get you up and going. (Bro. Jerry McNeer) Please Share
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 11:26:28 +0000
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