Elijah is despairing under the solitary broom
tree because Queen Jezebel is determined to kill him, which makes sense because
Elijah killed all her prophets and burned up the altar of Baal with fire from
on high. (1 Kings 18) Of course Elijah despairing means he doesn’t believe God
is able to repeat the feat and his fear of Jezebel is more present than his
faith in God. I’ve not called down fire from heaven to consume a wet sacrifice
or slain any prophets of Baal but I will admit to failing faith in the face of
circumstances that make me forget God’s faithfulness. What is forgotten in those
circumstances is that faith is not about our ability to believe. When Elijah is
ready to lie down and die God is not and so God provides what is necessary for
the journey that would otherwise be too much for Elijah. So it is with us on
this journey of life that would be too much for us were it not for God who
gifts us with companions, like a cake cooked on hot stones, who warm our way
and give us courage to face each new day with confidence that we will have the
strength to meet whatever challenge lies ahead of us. In the end faith trusts
that God’s faithfulness is all that is necessary for the forty days and nights
of however long our life lasts until we will reach the promised mount of God.
(Isaiah 25:6)
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