1 Kings 19:4: “But [Elijah] 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!'”

July 22nd, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Down through the ages, Elijah has been called the prophet of power. His name is synonymous with strength. But in this verse, this iron man of the Old Testament was filled with fear and discouragement, so much so that he wanted to die. Elijah had 3 revealing symptoms. He was suffering from exhaustion, due to a lack of proper rest; introspection, from looking too closely at himself; and an exaggeration of his problems, which introspection naturally leads to. Centuries later the apostle Paul wrote of his own encounter with despair:

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. (2 Cor. 1:8)

Why did these 2 great men of God find themselves in the depths of despair? Perhaps they hadn’t seen the results they expected or wanted to see, or maybe they never thought times would get as hard as they did.

We can fall into the same state of mind if our expectations get too far above our practical experience. There are many like Paul and Elijah, who have been discouraged in their service for God and often for the same reasons: exhaustion, introspection of faults, and an exaggeration of problems. We find God’s solution in Psalm 46. The entire Psalm speaks of disturbing times: pounding seas, crumbling mountains, and violent kingdoms. However, at the close of the Psalm, we hear God’s perspective: “Be still and know that I am God” (46:10). He tells us that in the worst of times, we must stop hurrying and worrying and be quiet and silent before Him. When we lay it all down at the foot of the cross, the temporal, with all its accompanying drama, suddenly comes into focus in the light of the eternal. God Himself absorbs the chaos and gives back calm and hope.

“LORD, we ask for Your peace that passes understanding to rule in our hearts and minds today.”

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1 Kings 19 KJV

¹ And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. ² Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me , and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. ³ And when he saw that , he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. ⁴ But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.  ⁵ And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. ⁶ And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. ⁷ And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey istoo great for thee. ⁸ And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. ⁹ And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? ¹⁰ And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. ¹¹And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: ¹² And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. ¹³ And it was so , when Elijah heard it , that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? ¹⁴ And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. ¹⁵And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: ¹⁶ And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.  ¹⁷ And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. ¹⁸ Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. ¹⁹ So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. ²⁰ And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?  ²¹ And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.