Read 1 Kings 19:1-8
Have you ever had a really bad day? A day when nothing seems to be going right? In the scripture above, Elijah is having one of those days…just after he had experienced a glorious victory. Now Elijah is on the run – he’s in danger, he is alone, and perhaps he’s even convinced that God has abandoned him. So much so that in verse 4 of chapter 19 he says, “I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life (this is too much); I am no better than my ancestors." He’s sitting in the desert, with no food, no water, and his servant is a day’s journey away, if he's even was waiting for him at all. Elijah thinks that no one really cares if he lives or if he dies. But, believe it or not, Elijah’s real problem is that he has lost his focus on God, on God’s provision, and on his purpose according to God’s will. He has gotten sidetracked by the storms of life and has focused on feeling sorry for himself, focusing on his limitations rather than the limitless potential we have with God in our focus…God on our side. We see this many times in Scripture, times when people lost sight of God due to the distractions around them and started to sink into a sea of self-doubt and self-pity. Elijah has lost his focus on God. He has forgotten how God had taken special care of him during a previous three-year drought, being fed by ravens and a widow. Many times, we too can become like Elijah. As we face the storms in our lives, the challenges in our lives, we can begin to look for the answers somewhere else…somewhere other than God. We forget all too often what God has done for us. And when that self centeredness happens, we are blinded from seeing how God is continuing to work in our life, and we end up like Elijah, crying out, “I have had enough, Lord. This is too much. I’m no good at this. I quit.” But the good news is…God did not abandon Elijah and he will not abandon you either. God loves you. Look at what God has done for you… "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) By God sacrificing his one and only son, he shows you he has your back that he is always on your side. He shows you that you have a reason to keep going, to keep moving forward in the name of Jesus. What may be impossible for us when we try to go it alone is not impossible when we lean on God’s unfailing love and support. As you keep your focus on Jesus, the bread of life, you will find that he will always give you strength for the journey, no matter how difficult or overwhelming it may seem.
0 Comments
|
Bio
I am a UMC pastor, appointed to serve as a chaplain for two senior adult living communities. My wife is a general music teacher and middle school band director, and we have two sons – 18 and 14. Archives
March 2020
Reflections From The Run
|