When the journey is "too great for you"

Reading the February 17 entry in "My Utmost" led me to study the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 today. It's a familiar account of how the disillusioned prophet curled up to die after escaping from the clutches of blood-thirsty Jezebel.

Oswald Chambers writes: 

"The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat...When the Spirit of God comes to us, He does not give us glorious visions, but He tells us to do the most ordinary things imaginable. Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God's creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things - things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there." 

I was especially struck by the fact that the angel fed Elijah not once, but twice (verse 7). Why? God knew the exact extent of Elijah's physical exhaustion and spiritual burn-out. He also knew the difficult journey ahead of Elijah. And so, He provided another meal, but first, the weary prophet must listen, arise and eat. He had to take that little step to rouse himself out of his stupor. Once he did that, God's supernatural sustenance kicked in.

"So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God." (verse 8)

That simple snack of cake and water provided Elijah with enough strength to undertake a forty day and forty night journey, to the exact place where God would meet with him in his moment of crisis.

The story that follows is well known. God shows up as a still, small voice. But what caught my attention was what He said to Elijah. He asks the prophet a second time, "What are you doing here, Elijah?". Still in the valley of depression and disillusionment, Elijah's reply is thick with self-pity and reproach of Israel and indirectly, of God Himself.

"I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." (verses 10 and 14)

God does nothing to acknowledge Elijah's sense of self-pity. Nor does He offer any words of comfort or affirmation - the very things that our egos are addicted to when we fall into spiritually depressing times. 

Instead, God issues a list of commands to Elijah - Go back to Damascus, anoint Hazael as king of Syria, Jehu as king of Israel and Elisha as your successor.

And by the way, you are not alone. I have set apart seven thousand in Israel who are faithful to me.

With that, God vindicates Himself, exposes the error in Elijah's limited judgment and proves that all is not lost. 

I was deeply comforted when I read Chambers' point that depression is not wrong. As I survey the terrain I've covered in this third year of missionary life, the dark valleys of despondency stand out as prominent landmarks, more so than the mountain peaks of achievement.

"If we were never depressed, we would not be alive - only material things don't suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation" 

God, who knew the depth of Elijah's spiritual depression also knows the contours of every shadow  of  emptiness and loneliness that has dimmed my joy and stolen my strength, in my journey to my personal Horeb.

He who knew that the prophet needed a second power snack also knows when I simply cannot go on and need a divine gust of second wind.

And He who wrenched Elijah out of dejection not by whispering sweet nothings, but by simply calling him to be faithful to a series of assignments will likely do the same with me.

Through it all, God vindicates Himself and proves that come what may, His divine purposes will not be thwarted, never mind what vengeful rulers may plan in their evil hearts, or what a self-pitying prophet may think in his disillusioned mind.