In the last devotional series, I shared about weariness and the importance of resting in God when we don’t know the next step. The good news is that weariness does not last forever. This devotional series is about God giving us breakthroughs when we least expect them. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, and He moves in our situations in awesome ways!
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.1Kings 19:1-8
Elijah was bold and courageous when he fought the prophets of Baal. He had a momentary success as a prophet of God until he heard Jezebel’s dissatisfaction and anger towards him. She vowed to kill him for killing her prophets. This caused great fear in Elijah’s heart to the point of fleeing town and leaving his servant behind. The very courageous and fearless prophet ran away from Jezebel’s fury! He was bold as a lion in one moment, and in another moment he saw himself as small as a grasshopper!
The truth is that all of us can experience this contradiction in life. We can be bold, strong, and courageous in one moment, and a few hours or few days later become fearful or anxious about a situation. Those are the moments that remind us that without Him we do nothing! While God can use us in mighty ways, we are always dependent on His mercy, grace, and protection to carry us through life.
In his bout of fear and anxiety, God graciously fed Elijah with water and cake. This lasted for forty days and nights. It’s important to notice what God did and did not do for Elijah in this period of time:
An angel was dispatched on Elijah’s behalf showing that the Lord was with him.
The Lord provided for him in his moment of distress and anxiety with food and water without rebuking him.
God was quiet about Elijah’s situation for forty days.
When we are going through times of stress or weariness, God provides for us what we need. While we may feel weak or anxious, the Lord does not necessarily rebuke us. At the same time, He does not solve our problem right away. He shows that He cares about us without rescuing us out of the situation.
God had already provided for Elijah in a miraculous way by feeding him for forty days, but Elijah was too focused on his pain and perplexity to see and appreciate God’s hand in his life. Now Elijah was about to experience a major breakthrough!
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
