I Kings 19.5-8
“And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.”
It’s very encouraging that scripture gives us this story of the struggles of the mighty prophet Elijah. The book of James says, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.” As we study Elijah’s struggle with fear and discouragement, we are studying ourselves, and there is much for us to learn.
Have you ever found yourself discouraged by the difficulties of life? Has the weight of adversity brought you to a place of despair? You are not alone. God seeks to meet you in the midst of your discouragement; He seeks to lift out of your despair and restore your confidence and courage.
Elijah fled Jezebel and now finds himself alone in the wilderness of Judah. His faith and courage have evaporated, he is exhausted and despondent, and he asks to die. The Lord does not grant that request. Instead, the Lord allowed Elijah to sleep, and then sent an angel to wake him and feed him. Twice the angel of the Lord did this.
The sleep and the food strengthened Elijah, thereby enabling him to travel to Mt Horeb, also known as Mt Sinai. It was there that God had given the Law to Moses, and it was there the Lord would also speak to Elijah.
The Lord is leading Elijah from fear back to faith; from discouragement back to confidence; from depression back to discipline.
Every great biblical character experienced this journey. The Apostle Paul certainly did.
“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1.8-9)
When we are threatened by something sinister or dangerous, the Lord calls us to stand strong and trust His presence, promises, and power. He calls us to live by faith, not fear. So remember:
- The enemy wants you to walk by fear. God wants you to walk by faith.
- We give the enemy access to our life through fear. We give God access to our life through faith.
- Where your mind goes, you go. If you dwell on self and circumstances, you feed your fear. If you focus on what the Lord and what needs to be done, you feed your faith.
- Courage is not the absence of fear. It is trusting God so that your faith is stronger than your fear.
So again, in response to any situation in life, stand strong and trust God’s presence, promises, and power. He calls you to live by faith, not fear.
“The Lord did not give us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1.7)
Zach Williams – No Longer Slaves (Live from Harding Prison)
The Lord is calling.
