[Elijah] went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. (1 Kings 19:4)
Expanded Passage: 1 Kings 17:1; 18:17-21, 31-39; 19:2-7, 13-18
Pastor Paul had led our small country church in central Pennsylvania for seventeen years, but the final few were the most challenging. The COVID pandemic required a huge shift in style and preparation for weekly services.
Then, Pastor Paul’s wife was diagnosed with cancer and died after a brutal stretch of appointments and treatments. His younger brother died from COVID. As he worked toward his planned retirement date, Pastor Paul also lost both his parents within a few months of each other. With each blow, he looked more physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted.
I can picture Elijah in this same manner, worn out from serving God, delivering tough messages to unwelcoming people, and being constantly under fire. Then his life was threatened by Jezebel, who had a long history of having people like Elijah put to death. At this moment in Elijah’s story, he was ready to give up, exhausted to the point of passing out. But God was there. Via an angel, God provided the sustenance Elijah needed to keep going.
One afternoon I stopped at our church to help Pastor Paul with a project. We talked about all he was going through. He smiled and gestured toward the mountain behind the parsonage.
“Each time things seem out of control, I look to that mountain and continue to get reminders that God is there,” he said. “The seasons, the wildlife, the view—his presence is with me each step of the way.”
Ask God to take care of you, even while weary.
John Zaktansky is the youth group leader at Port Ann Wesleyan Church in central Pennsylvania and oversees youth ministry at an annual family camp.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
