1 Kings 19:1-8 - Handling burn-out

Scripture:

1 Kings 19:1-8
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time."
3 And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs 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 my life, for I am not better than my fathers."
5 He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, "Arise, eat."
6 Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you."
8 So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.
NASU


Thoughts:

Elijah has just been integral to an amazing feat, in which the Lord dramatically showed His power by consuming the sacrifice offered by Elijah.  As a result, the prophets of the false god Baal were killed:

1 Kings 18:40
Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape." So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
NASU

But now, Elijah's own life is threatened (verse 2), and he succumbs to fear (verse 4).

This is not uncommon in the Christian life.  After an amazing spiritual victory or intense time of activity, we can find ourselves worn out.  This can then give way to us feeling as Elijah does:  gloomy; depressed; burned-out.

But notice how God cares for Elijah in this state.  He needs some very basic things that God gives to him.  He needs to rest and eat (verses 5-8a), and he needs time with God (verse 8b) which he will receive at Horeb.  Using terminology of our day, he needed to slow down.  Rather than worrying about the threats of Jezebel, he needed to have his most basic needs met and regroup.

I have followed this prescription a number of times in my own life, and have found that it has worked for me, too.  Rather than winding ourselves up even tighter with worry and activity in stressful times, setting those things aside and choosing instead to rest in the presence of God and allowing Him to change our perception of our circumstances.


Prayer:

Lord, we are truly frail beings.  It takes so little to overwhelm us!

Thank You for the example of Elijah.  Thank You for this battle plan I can use when the events of life overwhelm me.  Give me the wisdom and strength to do these things, when those times come.

Amen

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.