THERE WHEN WE NEED HIM MOST

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them."

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.

1 Kings 19:1-9a

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If you recall back in Chapter 18 of 1st Kings, Jezebel had a reputation for killing prophets (1 Kings 18:4), so much so that Elijah had to come to the rescue of many of them, saving 100 by having them hide in caves. Without the help of Elijah, those prophets would have surely died.

Further, Elijah had ordered all the prophets of Baal killed after God showed everyone who the real God was by sending fire to consume the water-soaked sacrifice prepared by Elijah after the Baal worshipers were unable to get a reply from their false god.

So as Chapter 19 opens, we find Jezebel being informed about Elijah’s actions by the wicked king Ahab…which caused her to turn her attention solely upon Elijah. The one who had saved the prophets before now was in danger himself.

And so we read where Elijah was “afraid and ran for his life”, taking his servant with him as he went to “Beersheba in Judah”. Who was going to come to Elijah’s rescue? Who would save him?

Once at Beersheba, we read where “he left his servant” and “went a day's journey into the desert” where he eventually “came to a broom tree” where he “sat down…and prayed that he might die”. Frightened and unsure what was ahead, Elijah cried out to the Lord saying:

"I have had enough, Lord…Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."

And with that, he “lay down under the tree and fell asleep”.

Question: How many times have you been at a place like where Elijah was? Afraid…under duress of some kind…ready to just give up feeling you would just be better off dead, even going as far as asking God to take your life from you.

Maybe you are under your own “broom tree” this very moment, feeling like you’ve had enough within your circumstances…feeling like it’s time to just give it all up.

Well, our scripture today gives us hope…hope for us when we are in despair…hope for us when we feel up against life’s challenges…hope for when we’re just ready to give up. For in this passage, we’re reminded of the presence and the power of the Lord…the One and only One who can grant us the strength to carry on…the only One who is there when we need Him most.

As we see, He was there for Elijah in the midst of his circumstance. For as Elijah fell asleep feeling defeated, the Lord sent an angel to him with provisions and guidance. We read where the angel touched Elijah and urged him to “get up and eat”. And when Elijah did, what a sight he saw. For there was a “cake of bread” which had been “baked over hot coals” laying by his head with a “jar of water” which Elijah “ate and drank” before lying down again…now nourished.

We read then that the “angel of the Lord” returned a “second time and touched him” again telling him to “Get up and eat” because “the journey is too much for you”. And with that, Elijah once again “got up and ate and drank” receiving strength from the food to travel “forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God” where ironically, he went into his own cave and spent the night…much like the prophets he had saved from Jezebel earlier.

When Elijah needed help most, there was the Lord…providing and guiding him…strengthening and protecting him. And the good news is that He stands ready to do the same for anyone who just places their faith and trust in Him.

One thing is certain. We all will have our faith tested in the course of this life on earth that we have been given by God. How we respond to those tests will speak volumes as to how well we are or aren’t trusting Him to take care of us…to deliver us…and to strengthen us to carry on and move toward the better days that He has ahead.

Just trust in Him…the One who is there when we need Him most.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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