Aspects of Loneliness
THE MAN WHO HIT ROCK BOTTOM - 1 Kings Chapter 19 Verses 1-18
It had been one of the most thrilling and eventful days of his life. And his life had been packed full with excitement! On this special day he had stood upon one of the coastal hills of Samaria and faced eight hundred and fifty false prophets, each one supported by the king, Ahab. There was the howling mob, to say nothing of the evil queen, Jezebel, who was back in the palace awaiting the result of the contest. With growing confidence she thought that this would be the end of Elijah! Under God's powerful hand it hadn't turned out that way, and the prophets were defeated and brought to justice.
The land had been experiencing great drought, but in answer to Elijah's prayers the clouds were already forming, and rain was on the way. You would expect this man of God to be walking on cloud nine; everything had gone so well, even better than he had ever thought possible. But no! After the high comes the low, and this great prophet of God was hitting rock bottom. The story is found in 1 Kings 19.1-18, and we will see: A Deadly Foe, A Desperate Fear and A Divine Faithfulness.
A Deadly Foe.
As soon as Queen Jezebel heard of the way Elijah's God had proved His power and authority, and the prophets whom she supported had been executed, she was furious. She sent a message to the man of God: "May the gods deal with me...if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like one of them." She was a deadly enemy, well able to fulfil her threat. She was powerful; King Ahab was like putty in her hands and she could make him do whatever she wanted. She was positive; what was one more murder to her? She was personal and Elijah was her target. She was going to make sure she finished him for good.
But surely Elijah, who had seen God's hand work in such a powerful way, would turn to his God in confidence and trust. Sadly that wasn't the way it happened, for after the "high" came the "low" and Elijah experienced.
A Desperate Fear.
"Elijah was afraid and ran for his life...he sat under a tree and prayed that he might die." Here was one very frightened and lonely man! Is that how you're feeling right now? Your enemy is not a powerful heathen queen, but your loneliness and fear are just the same as Elijah's. You, too, go to bed wishing you would never wake up! It may be that, like Elijah, you have known the presence and power of God in your life in quite remarkable ways. Now you feel as if the bottom has fallen out of your world, and you don't know which way to turn.
Francis Dixon was a well known British preacher, and in his little book "Elijah's God and Mine" he writes "It is applicable to our own experience. It is my story and yours." He then asks us to answer several questions with complete honesty: "Do I ever get discouraged, depressed and despondent? Do I ever find myself in the grip of despair? Does fear ever possess me? Do doubts assail me? Do I ever experience loneliness and a feeling that nobody understands? Do I ever seem to be at the end of my tether? Do I ever go to sleep and wish I need not wake up?"
Is that where you are today? Is that the cry coming from your heart?
This is not the end of the story, and we next see...
A Divine Faithfulness.
Here is Elijah, God's man, sitting under a juniper tree, absolutely shattered, longing for death, when the tender, loving hand of God reaches out to His child. That is often God's way; He waits until we realise we can no longer handle the problem ourselves, then He steps in and graciously ministers to us. In this way all the glory goes to God. We haven't been strong enough to go it alone and we admit it!
The way in which God undertook for His servant Elijah was so practical. First of all he showed him that he needed Regular Food. Do you remember how Jesus told His disciples to meet the needs of the five thousand men on the hillside, and when they could not He stepped in and provided a splendid meal for each one of them? Do you recall the lakeside scene after the resurrection, when the disciples returned tired after a night's fishing, and Jesus cooked a meal of bread and fish for them? God expects us to look after our bodies as well as we can, and regular food is very important. The Lord provided freshly baked cakes of bread together with some water for Elijah, as well as the gracious touch of the angel's hand!
Then He gave him Rest for Mind and Body. In Mark's Gospel we read that Jesus told His disciples "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." The psalmist tells us "He knows our frame." Our bodies were designed in such a way that they need rest and refreshment, and God has wonderfully provided sleep as the natural way to regain our strength. While not everyone can sleep through the night, it is good to get into the habit of early nights so that we are fresh to meet the Lord first thing in the morning. It may be that is an area of your life that needs adjusting!
Then God gave to Elijah - A Refreshing Holiday. A six-week holiday tour was granted, finishing up at the beautiful Mount Horeb! And there was a cave conveniently situated for him to spend the night! What a place to meet with the living God and find refreshment. This is our God, who cares for us. Peter tells us "He cares for you" and if that doesn't give you the encouragement you need then I really don't know what will! Elijah was given food, sleep and plenty of fresh air. Then, when His servant had recovered physically and mentally, God came to him with a gentle whisper, or, "a still small voice."
Are you still feeling lonely and discouraged? Will you take hold of the promise of Psalm 103.13? - "As a father loves his children so the LORD loves those who fear Him." That is not the love of the failing father, but is the genuine care and concern of a Heavenly Father who is perfect in every way. As the words of the little chorus tell us "God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own, His promise is true, He will not forget you, God is still on the throne."
One final thought which I hope will encourage you! In his loneliness Elijah told God "The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me." God said "No, Elijah, you've got it all wrong, I have seven thousand in Israel who are faithful to me." If you are a Christian you are not alone; there is a whole family of Christians surrounding you, but above all God Himself is with you!