THE REFUGE
“ Then he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, ‘Arise, eat.” 1 Kings 19:5 (NASBS)
Only days before, Elijah had stood upon Mount Carmel as the mighty prophet of God. Before all Israel he prayed, and the Lord answered by fire from heaven, consuming the sacrifice prepared for the contest between the Lord and. Afterward, the prophets of Baal were brought down to the Kishon Valley and executed. The people fell on their faces and cried out, “The Lord, He is God!”
Elijah had also prayed that the heavens would withhold rain, and for three and a half years no rain fell upon the land. Later, through Elijah’s prayer, God restored life to the widow’s son. Elijah witnessed extraordinary displays of the power and faithfulness of God. Yet shortly afterward, we find this same prophet fleeing into the wilderness in fear.
Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, threatened Elijah’s life after hearing that the prophets of Baal had been slain. Ahab had done more evil than the kings before, and under Jezebel’s influence Baal worship spread throughout Israel while many of the Lord’s prophets were murdered. When Elijah heard Jezebel’s threat, fear overtook him, and he ran for his life.
The scriptures tell, “He went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers! Then he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, ‘Arise, eat.’” This weakness is not unique to Elijah. Years ago, I took a truck to a repair shop to have a broken piece of metal welded back into place. While waiting, I noticed a man I had known years earlier sitting alone reading a newspaper. Eventually he came over and began talking with me. As the conversation unfolded, his language became very course and he mentioned an old friend who had ended up in jail. Immediately, an opportunity opened for me to speak about Christ, especially since I had been ministering and preaching regularly inside local jails.
But instead of speaking, I made excuses. The truck was almost finished, my employer was waiting on me, and I convinced myself there was not enough time for a serious conversation. So I left without sharing the grace of Jesus Christ that had so profoundly changed my life.
I knew the Scriptures teach that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Yet in my weakness, fear and unbelief clouded my heart. I became more concerned with my earthly reputation and the opinions of men than with the eternal soul standing before me. An opportunity to glorify God through the proclamation of the gospel passed by, yet the Lord, in His sovereign mercy, used other means to accomplish His will in that man’s life, for salvation belongs to the Lord.
As I drove away, conviction overwhelmed me. Only days earlier I had the privilege of preaching Christ inside a jail and witnessed the Lord moving powerfully among inmates. Yet in an ordinary welding shop, standing face to face with one lost man, I had remained silent.
That evening I went to church and heard a message from Ezra about repentance and a love for God’s Word. Later, while reading Ezra, I saw him broken over sin and interceding for the people. Through Scripture, through the encouragement of believers around me, and through the words of my wife about the undeserved grace of Christ, the Lord began reminding me of His mercy.
Though my failure was real, I began to understand once again, that God’s love for His children is not grounded in flawless performance, but in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Like Elijah beneath the broom tree, weary and discouraged, I learned again that God sustains His servants not because they are strong, but because He is merciful.
Christian, you in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, remember that God is faithful. His love for you is not founded upon your performance, but upon His eternal purpose and grace. He loved you before the foundations of the world and demonstrated that love through the finished and effectual work of Jesus Christ upon the cross.
Just as the Lord spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice with words of restoration and tenderness, so the promises of God’s Word now speak peace to your weary soul. Let the words spoken through Jeremiah settle deeply upon your heart, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” That promise is no less powerful today than when it was first spoken. The God who calls His people to Himself is the same God who faithfully keeps them in His love. The Scriptures declare that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Enter into this rest daily, and do not let the cares of this world, the accusations of the enemy, or the weakness of your flesh rob you of this precious truth.