As the winter season waxes upon us, we find ourselves in situations that can bring us despair. In this time, harsh weather and shortened sunlight are combined with increased sickness and the stresses of events with family, who bring us manifold joys but also multiple heartaches. The great prophet Elijah comes to mind when these circumstances of the wintertime are considered.
Elijah became pitiable and despondent on the heels of experiencing great triumphs in his life. By his word to God, the rain stopped for over three years and returned (1 Kings 17:1; 18:1). During the drought, he had received bread and flesh from ravens sent from God (1 Kings 17:6). God worked through him to make food for one meal last for several days to feed him and a widow and her son (1 Kings 17:14-16). God even used Elijah to restore the widow’s son back to life (1 Kings 17:20-22). And who could forget one of the greatest peaks of Elijah’s career as a man of God, his contest on Mt. Carmel with the 450 false prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18? God sent fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice, proving Elijah to be a true man of the true God (1 Kings 18:36).
However, gloom came upon Elijah almost as suddenly as God’s fire came upon his sacrifice. Jezebel sought his life so that he fled and, “sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers (1 Kings 19:4). Elijah is exhausted, he feels he has had enough, and all he wants to do is stay secluded in a dark cave (1 Kings 19:9). He feels alone: that no one understands him, and that he is the only one who wants to serve the Lord (1 Kings 19:10).
What the Lord tells Elijah is good advice to keep in mind for all of us as we experience the blues of the cold season. First, God tells Elijah to get up and eat (1 Kings 19:7). This does not mean that we should consume all the sweets available during this time of year. One of my problems when I am feeling down is that I have not eaten good, nourishing food and that I have filled up on simple sugars that have caused me to crash. So remember the right kind of food, even if you do not have an appetite, can help. Second, God spoke to Elijah so that he would not be entirely alone for a long period in a dark cave (1 Kings 19:9). Communicating with others instead of hiding from the world is important to our health. Third, Elijah’s focus is shifted from himself to the great power and presence of God in his life (1 Kings 19:11-13). Though God is not speaking to us directly today, we can focus on the great good God has accomplished in our lives. Finally, God gave Elijah a task so that he would forget himself and get busy rendering his service to others (1 Kings 19:14-16). Instead of paddling about in a pool of self-pity, it is good for us to focus on serving others, helping them with their problems, and training them in the Lord.
Elijah went on to be a beloved mentor of Elisha, just as God had instructed him (1 Kings 19:16, 19). Just as the new year on the horizon will soon come with new life, soon dark days will be over and we can continue with renewed vigor the work God has for us. Soon we will be called up to be with Him in heaven, where we will be in a place of eternal light (Rev. 22:5) and no more tears (Rev. 21:4), leaving our work on earth to others, as Elijah did (2 Kings 2:1-15).
–Mark Day
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