Month: September 2023

1 Kings 19:19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 

Whelp. Elijah is showing what can happen when you are exhausted, worn out, and stressed. God tells him three things to do: Anoint Hazael king of Aram. Anoint Jehu king of Israel. Appoint Elisha as his successor. Elijah does one of those and only half heartedly by throwing his cloak around Elisha. Nothing more.

1 Kings 19:20a Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you….”

I struggle with giving Elijah grace in this moment, which is ironic, considering the number of times I have needed that kind of grace, the number of times I have “phoned it in” on that level. If I am to treat others as the Lord treats me, then I am to extend Elijah grace upon grace even now.

1 Kings 19:20b …“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

Lord, Thank You for Your fierce love and unconditional grace. Thank You for encouraging me to rest and renew when I am at the end of my rope. Thank You for grace upon grace when I hear You clearly yet follow You half heartedly. Give me strength and courage to love others as unconditionally. Amen.

1 Kings 19:21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

Have a blessed day.

1 Kings 19:15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 

Again today’s verses seem to be about helping Elijah gain perspective. Back in verses 10 and 14, he says in part, “…I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” When you feel like the only one (or the only one left), it can be very difficult on the psyche. Elijah’s reaction in this chapter is proof of that.

1 Kings 19:16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 

In yesterday’s verses, God helped Elijah gain perspective on how big his God is. Today, the Lord is helping him gain perspective on the fact that he’s not the only one, he’s not in this alone. In the course of three verses, the Lord mentions three specific people still fighting for Him, still in positions of authority. In verse 18, he mentions that there are still seven thousand in Israel who have not submitted to Baal. Elijah is not alone. Not even close.

1 Kings 19:17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 

Lord of all Creation, Thank You that You see us, You know us, You love us. Thank You that no matter how alone we have convinced ourselves we are, with You, we are never alone. Not even close. Thank You that You never leave us nor forsake us. Never. Thank You. Amen.

1 Kings 19:18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Have a blessed day.

1 Kings 19:11a The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by….”

Our God is mighty and powerful, so I always find this verse fascinating for a number of reasons: One: God told Elijah that He was about to pass by. That kind of announcement doesn’t often happen, but God knew what Elijah needed in his despair. Two: There were three separate, mighty events that occurred directly after God’s pronouncement (powerful wind, earthquake, fire), but the Lord wasn’t in any of those mighty acts. (Well, He was because He is the God of all creation, but what He knew Elijah needed in his despair wasn’t one of those.)

1 Kings 19:11b …Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

Three: The Lord showed up, passed by, in a gentle whisper. It might have been completely missed had Elijah not been paying attention (because the Lord gave him a heads up to keep watch). The Lord knows Elijah. He knows what Elijah needs to be ok in this moment, and He shows up to Elijah in that gentle way to renew his spirit.

1 Kings 19:12a After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire….

Lord, How often do I miss you passing by because I am on the lookout for the big, mighty appearances. Thank You that You also show up in the gentle whispers. Help me to train myself to look for You, to see You, everywhere. Thank You that You whisper to my heart so often during our mornings together. Amen.

1 Kings 19:12b …And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Have a blessed day.

1 Kings 19:5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”  

Remember that in verse 4 Elijah was so stressed, so frustrated, so fed up, so scared that he said, “I’ve had enough, Lord.” The antidote for him is to sleep, to eat, to rest. The angel doesn’t lambast him, saying, “You big idiot! You can’t do anything right! You are a failure!” The angel encourages rest, encourages food, reminds Elijah why rest is needed (“…for the journey is too much for you.”)

1 Kings 19:6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

What a beautiful map for self-care: Recognize your limitations. Rest. Relax. Recenter. Be gentle with yourself. Remember that you are doing your best and sometimes it just takes a while. Don’t give up. Give it to God.

1 Kings 19:7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 

Lord, I would do well to remember Elijah and this lesson because I, too, have a tendency to give everything until there is nothing left, until I am so stressed, so frustrated, so fed up, so afraid that I explode and rail at You. Help me, instead, to rest, to be kind to myself. Help me to remind others of this same lesson. Help us to give our all for You. Always. Amen.

1 Kings 19:8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

Have a blessed day.

1 Kings 19:3-4a Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness….  

Who of us hasn’t reached the “I’ve had enough, Lord” (v4c) stage before? Sadly, I hit that state yet again yesterday morning. Lack of sleep, lots of uncertainty, so much stress. I was absolutely there. Yet a sticky note signed by 18 precious souls and a mini-pack of M&Ms brought me back from the edge.

1 Kings 19:4b …He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die…. 

I realized yet again yesterday just how powerful kindness can be. I shouldn’t be surprised because anger, frustration, and fear can blow up to explode my day, so why not kindness, but it made me wonder what could happen if we all focused on trying to be just a little kinder to each other today. The results could be revolutionary.

1 Kings 19:4c …“I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

Lord, I know kindness in itself won’t solve the world’s problems, but thank You for illustrating so powerfully for me the power of being kind. Help me to try to infuse kindness into everything that I do. Help me combat the “I’ve had enough, Lord” frustration that is sometimes so prevalent. Amen.

1 Kings 19:5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

Have a blessed day.