In 1 Kings 19:7-8, Elijah had reached the point where he couldn’t go on. He had withstood the famine. He had remained unconquered in spite of Ahab’s drag net to destroy him. He had challenged all the false prophets and saw their defeat. He had shown Israel the mighty power of God. But now he senses a weakness that is swallowing him up.
So, as Elijah is in the process of giving in and up, he requests for himself that he might die. (But rather than grant that request, God later took him to heaven in a glorious chariot.) God sent his angel to minister to Elijah, because the journey was too great for him. But consider, Elijah’s journey had always been too great for any man. God had been the One sustaining Elijah all along. So as God supplied for Elijah again, he was sustained, “…in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights.”
We have not a High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He understands, and was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. And, “…He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him…” (Hebrews 7:25)
Elijah came to Horeb, the mount of God, by the strength of the Lord’s sustenance. There, God commissioned him with very important tasks, that would result in God accomplishing His dealings with those situations over which Elijah had no control, (1 Kings 19:15-18).
Thus, the overriding factor for Elijah to respect and wait upon was, “God is in control.” All the times that Elijah had been on top of the issues and seemingly invincible, was really only because of God’s power enabling him. However, in the good times, apparently Elijah had come to feel that he was in the position of having control, and when events took a different turn, the realization that he wasn’t able to control anything himself, caused him to crash.
When we find ourselves crying out in despair due to things taking a turn for the worse beyond our ability to do anything about it, this doesn’t mean God is not in control. It only means we have lost our sense of confidence that we are in control. But the truth is, we never were in control, as without God, we could do nothing.
God help us to renew our faith, not by seeking for a renewed confidence of self control, but in the truth that only God is in control, and may the Lord be with us, as we wait upon Him.
SHARING
