Elijah - 6/2/09

Hi, everyone! I pray your day has been as amazing as mine has been!!! I accomplished a lot today, and it feels good to close my day with the feeling of a "job well done"!!
We basically just read Scripture yesterday. So, today I want to share a portion of Chuck Swindoll's views on this Scripture.
In this Scripture, we see a side of Elijah that we are not used to - the human side!!!
He has been such a super hero to us throughout his time with God, and it is strange to see him suffer from doubt and depression from his situation. However, it is so important that this Scripture is included in Elijah's story because we need to understand that even the most amazing people have their problems. We really shouldn't be shocked that Elijah was afraid of Jezebel. He was human....he had human emotions!!!
Elijah ran to Beersheba after his life was threatened! This was the southern limit of the land. He couldn't have run farther. Why did Jezebel's threat bother Elijah so much after all he had been through with God? Why did he run away from serving God and hide in fear?
1. Elijah was not thinking realistically or clearly
Instead of falling to his knees in prayer to God, Elijah ran first. He did not take time to stop and realize where the threat came from. Just recently this man stood before all the prophets of Baal (remember Jezebel brought the worship of Baal to Israel) and defeated them all. Yet, Elijah was so distraught by the threat on his life that he reacted before considering the source.
2. Elijah separated himself from the only strengthening relationship he had on earth
Scripture tells us that he "left his servant" and "he himself" went alone into the wilderness. When you are discouraged and you can feel yourself becoming depressed about a situation, being alone is not always the best thing to do. It is one thing to separate yourself for a time of prayer. It is completely another thing to just separate yourself so that you can embrace your self pity. If God is not in the center of your desire to be alone, more often than not, satan is going to use your isolation for his plan to conquer you.
3. Elijah was caught in the backwash of a great victory
The enemy is always aware that we are very vulnerable after a great victory, especially one like Elijah experienced on the mountaintop with God. Mr. Swindoll gives the example of a rock climber that thrives on the anticipation of conquering the mountain to get past all the obstacles the mountain has to offer. Once the climber has reached the top, the anticipation is gone. Descending the mountain is often much more difficult because the climber is deflated emotionally and a bit unguarded. I am sure Elijah was deflated emotionally. He didn't have a plan to deal with the backlash of what might happen after he ordered the slaughter of all the prophets of Baal. He was caught off guard and the anticipation of proving his God to be the one and only God was over. That job was done! What next?
4. Elijah was physically exhausted and emotionally spent
Please consider what the last three years of Elijah's life must have been like. Yes, God did provide for him! He saw many wonderful things happen! However, he wasn't at home! He was a wanted man, and he had a ferocious king/queen determined to kill him. He had to live his life "on guard" every second for three years! Can you imagine what that must have been like? After all this time, he then goes through the confrontation with all of the prophets of Baal on the top of the mountain! I can understand why Elijah must have been exhausted, physically and emotionally. Exhaustion can play games with your mind! I know after my radiation treatments, I was the most exhausted I have EVER been in my life. I truly felt as though I was never going to feel "normal" again! There were many days that I cannot even remember! I became so depressed after experiencing that exhaustion! I was convinced that I was dying! My desire to live was slowly fading during that time. Those of you who know me, know that is not the person that I really am! I try to be positive about everything, but being physically and emotionally drained can change your entire perspective. You don't think clearly (as mentioned in point #1). Now that the exhaustion has left my body, I am back to being encouraged and happy! As a matter of fact, today I spent hours in my back yard raking and bagging 15 bags of leaves! I felt so alive! I couldn't believe the same person that was lying on the couch for months was finally up living life as usual!!! Being tired is no laughing matter!!!
5. Elijah got lost in self pity
Self pity is the most horrible emotion! It cultivates a mentality that is not healthy to the human soul!!! The enemy uses it to lie to us and exaggerate everything around us. Think about your life experiences. When you start feeling sorry for yourself, don't you become very paranoid? You feel like the entire world is suddenly against you, and every situation you find yourself in is magnified my the thousands. You convince yourself that you know what others are saying about you. You determine the outcome of every interaction before it even takes place. Somehow, in your mind, you are always the victim! Many times we set a standard for ourselves that God never expected of us! Don't do that! Don't ever set standards for yourself that you cannot live up to. God would NEVER do that to us. Elijah wanted to die because he believed he was no better than his Fathers. Never did Elijah hear God tell him that he should be better than his Fathers. He just decided for himself that God expected it. Then, he used that to create a "victim" scenario for his situation.
The good news is that God stepped in and "saved the day". We will save that portion of the chapter for tomorrow. Study this time in Elijah's life. Use it to consider how you react to situations in your own life! God didn't include this in Scripture for no reason! Maybe we can learn something about stopping depression over things before it even starts! Trust me, this lesson was designed just for me! I intend to keep these pages readily available to remind me as I fall into these tendencies!!!
May tomorrow be as wonderful as today!
In Him,
Tiffany Pate