That Happened to Me, Too – 1 Kings 19

A text – 1 Kings 19:4-8

19:4 But he (Elijah) himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” 19:5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” 19:6 He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. 19:7 The angel of the LORD came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” 19:8 He got up and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.

A reflection:

This little story of Elijah happens close on the heels of a famous episode in which Elijah prays to the Lord to rain fire down upon a sacrifice, in competition with the prophets of Baal and their sacrifice. The Lord does this raining of fire and also ends a vast drought. The episode is a total success, and the failing prophets of Baal are all killed. This angers the ruling family. So Elijah runs away, out of the country, to escape persecution from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.

In his weariness and the terror of persecution, he asks God for death, and then falls asleep. When he awakens, he is protected and fed by an angel. He falls asleep again, and he is awakened again by the angel. He eats and drinks again. The rest and sustenance lasts for 40 days, bringing him through his journey to Mt Horeb, where he will converse with God.

Elijah has received his mission from God in perilous times in a perilous kingdom. His close relationship with God lets him know when God is willing to do a miracle in order to sustain a believer or to vanquish false prophets and false gods. Elijah’s work is amazing work. It has its ups and downs. It is risky – life or death risky. God does loving things through him and lethal things as well. And the mission goes on for a long time. Elijah is faithful to God, and God is faithful to Elijah. And when it all becomes too much for a human being to endure, God tenderly cares for Elijah to get him to the next place on the journey.

Have you ever been called to work, to a mission, which lasted a long time, had its ups and downs, and during which you felt you just couldn’t go on, even though you knew you had to go on? Who cared for you during that low point in your mission? Sometimes it is an old friend. Sometimes it is a stranger who treats you like a friend. Sometimes it seems as though no one is there, but later you realize you were saved by timing or by some quirk of fate. When God calls us into mission, God does not abandon us. Sometimes God provides old friends in the nick of time, or new people, like angels, with the right help. And sometimes there is something weird that happens to postpone danger or conflict. God is sometimes in that, as well. I like to think that when Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus during his transfiguration, they were there to tell Jesus, “Yeah, that happened to me, too.”

Just remember, God will not abandon you, ever. No trial of yours has not also been felt by Jesus or Moses or Elijah. You are never alone, and God will come through for you. God keeps God’s promises.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for being with us in our lowest situations. Help us to know, in our darkest times, that you are with us and care about us and send help for us. Help us to recognize your help when we see it. Amen.