God Gets Us!

So have you been in these places lately?  I'm too tired and burned out.  I thought I knew what my purpose was but this doesn't feel right.  I just don't understand life.  I give up.  God...seriously?  Why?If so, this is for you.  If not, read it anyways, your time will be coming.

So God has been revealing so many amazing truths about His goodness to me through the character of Elijah.  His story is really amazing from beginning to end.  I like Elijah because I am relating to him more than ever and I am seeing God in ways I haven't seen before.  So check this out:

The Context:  God just showed His amazing power to everyone involved in the Mt. Carmel showdown by allowing fire to fall from Heaven to burn up an altar that was soaked with a lot of water.  There is no way this altar could catch on fire except God...and God did it and now He has everyone's attention, especially Elijah's.  Next scene:  Ahab is in his chariot on his way to Jezreel and Elijah is on foot.  It is roughly 18 miles from Mt. Carmel to Jezreel.  Well, the power of the Lord (1 Kings 18:46) was on Elijah and he outran Ahab in his chariot.  I love how numerous times in Scripture God says those who trust in chariots and horses, it doesn't go well for them in the end.  What are we trusting in right now?  Anything other than God, doesn't end well for us either.

Here is where it gets real.  Ahab finally gets to Jezreel on his chariot while Elijah has been waiting and Ahab goes straight to Jezebel (one of the most wicked individuals in all of Scripture) and tells her what happened at Mt. Carmel.  Jezebel doesn't like it one bit and makes a declaration to Elijah, "may the gods punish me and do so severely if I don't make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow" (1 Kings 19:2).  She is making reference to all the prophets that Elijah killed with his sword.  She has purely given him a death threat.  Now catch this part as we move forward.  She pulled the gods into this situation who couldn't even show up at Mt. Carmel.  Why didn't they show up?  Because they are lifeless.  They are idols.  They never showed up at Mt. Carmel, Elijah mocked them, and then she uses them as a way to threaten Elijah and guess what happens?  It worked.  Elijah moves from being overwhelmed by Presence of God to now being overwhelmed by an evil queen who is going to use lifeless idols to kill Elijah and Elijah flips out.  Oh, how many times am I guilty of this very same act?  Uggh.  So Elijah runs (1 Kings 19:3) to Beersheba.  Well, how far is that?  Good question!  It is roughly 100 miles and that is after a nice leisurely run of about 18 miles.  But I had to ask the question, why Beersheba?  Ahab is not king over Beersheba, so it is the nearest place to run too where he is safe from Ahab's men.  But, then notice v.4, he walks for a day into the wilderness.  Why?  Because Jehoshaphat is king over Judah and his son married Ahab's daughter...are you kidding me?  So Jehoshaphat won't have any problem handing Elijah over to Ahab, so wilderness he goes.  I believe two thoughts crossed Elijah's mind about wilderness.  1.  It will be a safe place to hide because no one will dare try to come out to the wilderness to kill me.  2.  It will be a perfect place to die because no one will come out to the wilderness to save me.

Shew.  Elijah is now not in a very good place at all.  He is lying under a broom tree, exhausted, overwhelmed, and done.  He just wants to die.  And do you know what God does?  He absolutely condemns, shames, and gives Elijah a guilt trip because of his lack of faith...right?  Not!  At!  All!  Instead, God comforts and cares for Elijah.  God knows right now Elijah doesn't need a sermon.   He doesn't need a lecture.  He doesn't need a scolding.  No, Elijah needs a nap.  And the beauty of the heart of God is He knows exactly what Elijah needs and let's him have it.  Sleep.  Sleep.  Sleep.  God also provides and angel who uses a George Foreman to cook for Elijah.  Elijah sleeps, wakes up, eats, and goes back to sleep.  Sleep, wake, eat, repeat.  Now, with strength, he gets up and walks 40 days and nights (since it is a new year - if you want to lose weight here is how you can lose a lot of weight in 43 days:  Run 118 miles.  Then walk a full day.  Then sleep and eat whatever is at your head and then walk another 40 days, but consult your physician before you try this method) to Horeb (THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD).  Now that Elijah is in the proper place, it is now time for God to speak.  I'm telling you friends, God's timing is PERFECT.  He knows.  He knows what we need when we need it.  I love His faithfulness to us.  It is so overwhelming and good.  But He isn't going to speak yet because He wants Elijah to have another good night's rest.

Then God speaks and He doesn't yell or scream, He speaks in a whisper.  Come on, this is so good.  God is so good friends.  He whispers to Elijah and says, "what are you doing here Elijah?"  Now God is ok to hear our responses in this moment, please understand that, but I am learning that the point of this is for Elijah to stay quiet and reflect on the meaning of the question.  Why are you here?  How did you get to this place?  Why are you downcast?  What happened that broke you?  Elijah speaks and God's response is "go, you are not alone...there are others...rely on them...let them rely on you... (don't know about you but this sounds a lot like what the church is suppose to be like) walk together.  There is not just one person to carry the weight of all this (except Jesus, that is a later story) and so I am going to give you Elisha.  Oh Elisha!  By the way, do you have an Elisha?

So a couple of key truths that I am learning:

1.  I am not alone.  You are not alone.  There is someone out there who needs to know your story and you need to learn their story.  We don't know people anymore.  Social media does not count because getting to know people is also experiencing body language and eye contact.  Social media is making us to be and feel alone.  May we learn to step away from stuff and meet people again and tell our story.
2.  Take a nap.  Yeah, but there are lot of things to get done.  I know I know, I get that...but maybe it is time we start trusting in a God who has all that in His hands.  He is not shaken by an Ahab or a Jezebeel but He is broken over a child of His who wants to die and be left alone.  Rest!  If you have to, ask for help!  I have been one of the most prideful individuals with "i've got this" or "i'm done, and I just want to be left alone" mentality.  Thank you Jesus for a work you have done in my soul because now I'm getting better asking for help.  I need help.  You need help.  Elijah needed help.  We really do get ourselves in trouble when we try to do it alone and in our own strength.  Ask for help.
3.  Instead of running away from the situation, how about we run to Our Father first.  So what would it have looked like if Elijah would have created a bit of space from Jezreel and just found a spot and fell facedown before a Holy God?  How can start a habit of immediately turning to God in a moment of being overwhelmed?  For starters, if you are at work, excuse yourself, go to the bathroom and get on your knees.  If you are at home, excuse yourself to the bedroom, lock the door and get on your knees.  If you are in the car, turn everything off (not the car) and pray out loud.  Create a habit and space to talk to God.  Nehemiah was the best at this.  Before he made a decision he would ask God quickly for help.
4.  GRACE.  I was a fool and messed up.  Well, can I be blunt and say, we are bigger fools if we stay in that place and allow it to take us deeper into the dark valley.  He's not done with you even at your lowest moments.  His Story is full of over comers who made foolish decisions but by HIS GRACE, got back up on their feet and climbed the mountain.  Which one will you be?  His grace is bigger than your greatest sin.  May you admit your fault and trust Him.  You are covered by His grace always.  Don't let "Jezebeel" win.  The victory is already won and sealed up, we just have to stay focused on the Prize until the race is over and grace will be our theme.  God says, "get up and go...you are not alone.  Rest in me.  Trust in me.  Walk with me.  I'm not done with you and the best is yet to come."  Wow, He really does get us doesn't He?