1 Kings 19:3 (NKJV) 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
Elijah was a great man of God; a powerful prophet who knew God’s strength and faithfulness.
He accomplished many great things as God’s prophet of that era.
Knowing this, it would seem that Elijah was without fear.
But that’s not true.
Elijah was a human, just like you and me. But after a mighty victory against 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, he became scared. And his fear drove him to run into the wilderness and hide beneath a tree, fearing for his life.
You see, Elijah very quickly forgot what God had just done through him. He forgot that God was his source of strength. And he forgot about God’s faithfulness.
He let his enemy (Jezebel) get into his head, and he started operating by his emotions, instead of by the spirit.
And fear kicked in, causing him to run.
After he escaped into the wilderness, he begged God to take his life. He had gone from a mighty, conquering warrior of God to a fearful, tearful man, hiding from a woman who had threatened him with harm and death.
There, as he wallowed in fear and self-pity, he collapsed and fell asleep.
But an angel of God came and woke him, urging him to arise and eat, and giving him instructions to leave and go to a mountain where he would meet God.
God did meet him there. And He showed Himself to Elijah in a very powerful way.
He had a chat with Elijah to correct what was going on in his mind. And then He sent Elijah on another mission.
So, what can you and I learn from this? What can we apply from Elijah’s situation to our own lives?
We need to always remember God’s sovereignty. We need to always remember God’s provision. And we need to always remember God’s mercy.
You see, God never abandoned Elijah. It was Elijah’s emotions that got the best of him and caused him to become fearful.
God never punished Elijah for the fear he displayed or for the pity party he engaged in. Instead, God spoke with him, helped him get understanding, and then sent him on another mission.
And while He visited with Elijah, God showed Himself to him as He passed by the mountain.
God showed Elijah mercy and compassion. And in that mercy and compassion, Elijah drew strength from God and went on to complete all that God had for him to do.
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443
401-439-3780
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