Elijah: Fight the Darkness
God’s People on Mission
Elijah: Fight the darkness
In these devotions I’ve been focusing on people in the Bible who were ready for God to use them for a purpose or mission of His design. I’ve been doing that because this is our purpose, and I know I sometimes struggle with the simple things that allow me to be ready when God wants to work in and through me.
I’ve studied some success stories in the Bible, but we learn a lot from the failures and struggles also, and the Bible is great in its honesty about the short comings of all people, and especially people we’d consider highly.
I know what it is like to hear the voices of darkness and despair, especially at this time of year when the days are short, dark and cold, and the nights are long and even colder. Elijah knew hopelessness too. He knew God, he had experienced God’s provision and power, and yet still after all of that he still found himself running for his life and ultimately asking God to take him before his enemies could.
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!” (1 Kings 19:4)
Ironic when we know that Elijah never saw death at all, at least not yet, and many people believe that his work on this planet is unfinished. But Elijah had hit rock bottom. How did he find himself in this place? Because maybe if we understand that, we’d be better equipped to keep ourselves in a healthy place and be ready to be used of God.
Elijah was ready to check out. But God came to him and showed him that there was still more that He wanted him to do. There are times for me too when I’m not in a healthy frame of mind, so what can I learn from the experience of Elijah, where he went wrong, and what suggestions might keep us healthy and ready.
He took his eyes off God and focused on the enemy
Despite the mighty victory that God won through Elijah, his mind was now full of fear because the queen was out to take his life. How easy it is for all of us to have our focus in the wrong place. We need to remind ourselves constantly of the victories God has won, and the way He has worked in our lives. It will keep us hungry to serve Him, because we trust He will do more in us.
Elijah began shouldering a burden that wasn’t his to carry
It was never Elijah’s responsibility to bring about regime change in the government. The people witnessed the miracle and gave glory to God, and that should be enough. It isn’t our task to win people over, or to bring about change, that is God’s, and it is only God who can lift the veil from people’s eyes so that they might see him. People will walk away, and that is on them, it is never on us so long as we’ve delivered the message God has entrusted us to deliver.
Elijah let the noise of the world drown out the voice of God
This one is subtle. We must priorities and protect time to sit and read and listen to God and His Word, and we must ensure that we take action as soon as we hear His direction.
Meeting with others isn’t important, it is vital
Elijah had lost contact with the remnant that God had reserved for Himself. If we are not regularly meeting together, we will naturally become isolated and feel alone. Yes, God is sufficient, He is our Rock, our Refuge, our Help and our Strength. But the Bible doesn’t encourage isolation, in fact the opposite is true. The disciples went on mission at least in pairs, they came back to report and celebrate, and we are commanded to not forsake meeting together, for our sake and for the sake of others.
Feeling down (or worse) happens to all of us, we all find ourselves in that place sometimes. The key is to recognize when we are there, or on the way, and quickly take steps to get back, and to seek help from the right people who’ll prayerfully support us all the way.
