Get Real November 23 Devotional
November 23, 2024
1 KINGS 19:7-8| 7 The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” 8 He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.
With Elijah it was the combination of dramatic victory and utter failure that put him into a tailspin. The drama of Mount Carmel with the decisive defeat of the priests of Baal and humiliation of Ahab and Jezebel did not lead to royal repentance. It was suddenly clear that the king and queen could never be won over to true faith. If the drama of Mount Carmel did not do it, nothing would! Elijah felt he had been given an unwinnable war to fight, and lost causes are debilitating, because hope is a necessary component in genuine human projects.
Notice how God tenderly and gently responds to Elijah’s struggle. Rather than argue with him or reprove his theology or double down on his calling, God encourages him to rest and eat and listens to his distress and complaint. Often the best way to bless those suffering mentally and emotionally is to stand with them in their struggle and offer practical aid, like food and respite.
Do you measure your life by success or faithfulness?
Do you know anyone needing support?
