The Journey Is Too Great

Background Scripture: 1 Kings 19
Lesson Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-9

Introduction

Our lesson today finds Elijah discouraged and downcast. He had recently experienced the miraculous providence and power of God but now was running for his life and feeling very alone. Though he was discouraged, God still took care of him and had a way of getting through to him in a very personal way.

Our experiences in life are at times not so different. It is not uncommon to go through a valley after a mountaintop experience. Sometimes, having been made aware of God’s special care for us, it seems like suddenly life crumbles all around us, completely out of our control. May this lesson cause us to consider the care and providence of God, even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

Key Verse

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

We have been studying the events of Elijah’s life in the two previous lessons. Israel as a nation was at a very low ebb, as the kings of Israel had led the people into an ever-deepening state of sinful living. They had suffered through several years of drought, but God had made his presence known at Mount Carmel, and the earth had been refreshed with rain. Queen Jezebel was unhappy with Elijah for slaying the prophets of Baal, whereupon she sent word to Elijah that his life was in danger. Elijah’s days of hiding were not yet over.

Mount Carmel is along the Mediterranean coast in the northern part of present-day Israel. Jezreel was one of Ahab’s capital cities and not far from Mount Carmel. Both Ahab and Elijah went to Jezreel after leaving Mount Carmel. Upon hearing that the queen was after his life, Elijah and his servant fled to Beersheba. Beersheba is about 100 miles south of Jezreel in what was then the southern kingdom of Judah. Here Elijah left his servant and went on alone into the wilderness. Did Elijah have a destination in mind? We are not told, but he only went a day’s journey before he lost all heart and wished to die.

God did not rebuke Elijah for his discouragement or the choices he may have made that contributed to his present condition. Rather, an angel came and ministered to him. This heavenly nourishment sustained him for forty days as he traveled south toward the mountain of God.

Mount Horeb is far to the south of Israel and not at all in the direction of Elijah’s next assignment, but God seems to have had a special experience in mind for Elijah. In the cave on Mount Horeb, God sent some mighty, natural forces to shake, rend, and scorch the earth. Elijah must have cowered in fear in his hideout. When all was quiet, Elijah heard a still, small voice and recognized it as the voice of God. Again, Elijah reiterated his complaints to God, and again God did not rebuke Elijah. In fact, it is not recorded that God ever responded to Elijah’s complaints but simply gave him his next task to perform. No doubt this experience did a work in Elijah’s heart and settled his trust that God was completely in control of what happened in his life.

Practical Truths for Today

There are many circumstances in life that can bring discouragement and darkness. Tragedy can strike, resulting in loss of life or possessions. Our health can fail and result in pain, discomfort, or loss of independence. Temptations may be especially long and difficult, resulting in stumbling and failure. We may engage in negative thinking, causing the mind to become unwell and robbing us of hope and joy.

Hearing of others’ experiences as they looked to God and found grace in their distress is inspirational, but when those same disagreeable things come upon us, we must personally find that anchor in God that others have experienced. The trials become so real and personal that even hope may flicker, but God understands our plight and does not expect us to pull ourselves up by our own power. He rather wants us to come to Him with all our need. It is often we who rebuke ourselves for the condition we are in, not God. He simply asks us to trust his direction and follow where He is leading. He knows the full scope of life and always has a plan for us for where we are at.

After surrendering our challenges to God, we may find ourselves disappointed that our situation has not miraculously been changed or resolved. Elijah still had a great journey ahead of him even after the angel supplied his need. God made us creatures of the present, not the past or the future. Although our hand is in the Lord’s hand, the difficult issues in our lives must still be faced. To escape our current position by positive thinking can be a form of denying our responsibility. A rider on a horse must relax and allow his body to move with the motion of the animal; trying to inhibit the body’s motion will result in a very uncomfortable ride. Likewise, surrendering to God also involves surrendering to the circumstances of life and riding through them. Holding firmly to our plans and dreams will only make it more difficult to ride the waves of life without being anxious or upset.

Jacob met the Lord one night as he was facing the consequences of his deceitful actions of years earlier. There, while trying to process his unfavorable condition, he wrestled with an angel while desiring a blessing. He received a blessing but was given a physical handicap in exchange (Gen. 32:25). Paul sought earnestly that his thorn in the flesh would be removed but was given grace instead (2 Cor. 12:9). God wants us to have a spiritual view of life and may sometimes hinder us naturally to bring us to this realization. To resist God’s hand working through the circumstances of life will only deny us of the spiritual rest we so desire.

Unresolved sin in a person’s life will cause discouragement and will need to be repented of, but neither does God expect that we reach a satisfactory state of near perfection so He can complete a final work. In fact, this is repulsive to Him. He has the power to overcome sin from start to finish. One aspect of repentance is admitting that a wrong cannot simply be passed over. It requires placing trust completely in God to resolve our sin. If there is something that you would rather not touch but it nevertheless leaves a lingering question in your mind, you can experience freedom by acknowledging it, confessing it, and bringing it to the throne of grace.

We need an intimate connection with God. Prayer comforts the soul, but at times that comfort, too, may elude us. Audible prayers in a group setting are by nature mostly a one-way communication; we are thanking God or imploring Him to help us. Personal prayer can be more of a two-way communication. Some may feel prayer needs to be structured and focused and become discouraged when struggling with a wandering mind. The places our mind may wander are likely the things that are currently important. Pray about those things as they come up instead of compelling yourself back into a formal prayer. In bringing our personal cares to God and allowing Him to comfort us and speak to us about those things, we can find rest and quietness that we can take with us.

Withdrawing from fellowship and disregarding quality time with others will make our journey more difficult. Sharing our burden with someone else may sometimes be the last thing we try to do. We will almost always find our way brightens by sharing our burden with a trustworthy confidant. Each must bear his own burden, yet we are told to also bear one another’s burden (Gal 6:2, 5). In a group of hikers, each must carry his own belongings, but when the trail becomes rough, a helping hand readily extended and accepted makes the journey easier for all. God has given each of us a life to live, and we must bear the burden of our life, but there are many burdens we can share with others. He has given us the ability to reach out and help those who are struggling.

The desire to be useful is God-given and helpful for a fulfilling life, but discouragement will dampen the wish to reach out and be helpful. The tendency to withdraw into ourselves when we are down compounds our feeling of worthlessness. To reach outside of our circle takes an effort, but the rewards are often greater than the deed. God, through the still, small voice, gave Elijah a task to perform; Elijah rose up and went where God directed. In a discouraged state, the voice of God may not seem near, but remember Elijah’s experience of hearing God in the quietness, not in the fury of the storm.

As we grow older in life, the past may trouble us. We do not have the ability to go back and change the happenings of the past, but Jesus has the ability to offer atonement for the past so we can live free. This freedom is available to all. There may be effects from the circumstances and decisions of the past, but Jesus is before us, leading us, not behind us beckoning us to remember the past. He has given us today, and we can take his hand as He leads us into the future.

In Psalm 23, we read of green pastures and still waters where the soul is restored. We cannot generate that restoration of ourselves; it is the work of God. Trying to live Christian life with a self-generated effort to please God will bring us short of the rest described by the psalmist. Trusting God leaves little room for self-effort. Jesus delights in our complete trust in his grace. Trust takes his hand and says, “I believe you will keep me in your will.” The underlying lie of self-effort is, “I don’t think I can quite trust your grace to get me home.” We are not designed to prosper under a burden like that. True refreshment comes with a complete trust in the Father.

Questions

1. How do we find the courage to open our hearts with others when we are struggling and do not feel like talking about it?
2. How can we develop a listening ear without formulating a fix to the problem?
3. How far can we trust the Lord to fill our needs when there are times in life that are so busy there is hardly any time for rest and relaxation?
4. What extra burden do we place on ourselves when we try to please God instead of trusting Him?

Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).