1 Kings 19:13a When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave…
As I was rereading 1 Kings 19 this morning, I noticed that the words of verse 10 and verse 14 are identical. The only difference is that after verse 10, Elijah was in the presence of the Lord. It strikes me that this entire chapter is about Elijah gaining perspective about how mighty, how present, how sovereign His God is and how his problems don’t stand a chance against Him.
1 Kings 19:13b …Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Back in verse 4, Elijah sat under the broom bush and prayed to die. He’d had enough. Yet with rest, food, the Lord’s gentle whisper, he is now confidently laying his fears before God. Essentially, this chapter seems to be the epitome of “Don’t tell God how big your problems are. Tell your problems how big your God is.” That’s perspective.
1 Kings 19:14a He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword….
Lord, I know I am guilty of losing perspective, of allowing my fears to grow enormous while my faith shrinks and quakes. Help me, like Elijah, not to freak out, not to give in to stress. Help me to rest in You, to renew myself in You, so that I can confidently bring my fears to You and lay them at Your feet, leaving them there. Amen.
1 Kings 19:14b …I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
Have a blessed day.