Elijah’s Letdown

Synopsis     1Kings 18:41-19:4     6/12/2019 

After Elijah had demonstrated God’s power by vanquishing the priests of Baal, he spoke to King Ahab. He told Ahab to get something to eat. And he also mentioned that it was about to rain – even though there had been no rain for three years. 

Then Elijah went on top of the mountain. And he prayed intensely until rain clouds began to form. Once they had formed, he warned Ahab of the coming deluge. Ahab departed for Jezreel on his chariot. But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Elijah. And so, he ran under the influence of God’s spirit and somehow arrived in Jezreel before Ahab.

Later, Ahab reported to his wife, Queen Jezebel, all that Elijah had done in killing the prophets of the false god. Jezebel became incensed. And so, she sent a messenger to Elijah informing him that she intended to have him killed the next day. 

So, Elijah fled to the tribal lands of Judah. There, he went alone into the wilderness and sat underneath a solitary broom tree.  

Elijah’s Letdown 

Elijah vanquished four-hundred fifty prophets of Baal. After that, he prayed for rain. And God brought the rain that broke the three-year drought. Faith like a mustard seed. Success on top of success on top of success.

And then Queen Jezebel sent a messenger with a threat to kill Elijah. He was so affected that he took flight. As a result, he hid himself in the tribal lands of Judah – where he could expect to be relatively safe. And then he went into the wilderness and sat under a broom tree. There, feeling dejected, he prayed for death. 

He hit the letdown. 

Beware the Letdown 

The Way of Givenness is all about finding flow in the Christian walk. When we walk in this flow, it’s usually a wonderful experience. Sometimes people even describe it as a “mountain top” experience. In those moments, God’s hand is everywhere obvious. And His love is indisputable. Everything just seems to work with an easy confidence.

But then something happens. Instead of moving with flow, I return to the staccato haltering of uncertainty on top of uncertainty followed occasionally by a strangely hopeful overconfidence.

And so, before I know it, I’ve taken charge. And suddenly the flow is gone. It no longer seems real.

In fact, it doesn’t just seem not real, but the whole experience takes on a surreality. And in that moment, I doubt that I ever really had the experience at all. It’s the total loss of all consolation.

This is a debilitating and dangerous moment. It’s a lapse that almost always follows the most amazing experiences of God.  

So prepare yourself. This Way is a walk of faith. And faith is perfected through suffering.

“Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;” Heb 5:8