I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2 NIV)
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26 NIV)
Today is the first day I have had in a while to sit down and write. Our May was a “May-cember” (as busy as December!), filled with graduations, open houses, two weddings, and a lot of travel, in addition to the normal family, church, and end-of-school-year activities. Registration for the Christian arts camp I direct closed on June 1, leaving me only three weeks to finish “All the Things” in preparation for camp. During the first week of June, I made an unexpected day trip to Chicago, taught a children’s ministry lesson at church for the first time, and attended a conference.
By the time I arrived at the state Aglow conference, I was physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually tired. I met a group from our hometown there, but I had not traveled with them and really did not know them. Thankfully, they were gracious and easily folded me into the group when I wanted to be included, while also giving me space when I needed it. After two days of deep worship, strong Bible teaching, and godly fellowship, I felt my spiritual “tank” beginning to fill up again, and for that I was grateful.
This season has reminded me of the story of Elijah. Elijah enters the biblical narrative in 1 Kings 17 when he announces to the evil King Ahab that “there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1 NIV). God then instructed him to hide in the Kerith Ravine, where he would drink from the brook and be fed by ravens. But when the brook dried up, Elijah was sent to Zarephath, where he stayed with a starving widow and her son. There, God miraculously provided oil and flour so that they did not starve.
After three years, God sent Elijah back to King Ahab with the promise that rain would once again come to the drought-stricken land. But first came the “Battle of the Gods” on Mount Carmel. The prophets of Baal cried out to their god to consume their sacrifice, but Elijah’s prayers to Jehovah—the One True God—were answered with fire that consumed even a water-soaked offering.
After proving that his God was real and overseeing the execution of the false prophets, Elijah’s life was threatened by Queen Jezebel, and he fled in fear. This man who knew God’s voice, who had risked his life in obedience, and who had witnessed God’s miraculous provision had spent so much time running that he became exhausted.
He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors’ (1 Kings 19:4 NIV).
And then he collapsed in exhaustion.
My life is by no means as stressful as Elijah’s. I have not been called to confront powerful rulers who want to kill me. I have not lived on the edge of starvation because of drought. I have not stood before 450 prophets to prove that my God is real.
But, like Elijah, I can become weary.
And that is where God’s mercy and lovingkindness meet us.
For me, the conference was one of the ways God began to refill me.
For Elijah, God sent an angel to minister to him beneath that broom bush.
“All at once an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank” (1 Kings 19:5–8 NIV).
Strengthened by that food, Elijah traveled (on foot!!) for forty days and forty nights until he reached Mount Horeb, where the Lord met him once again and revealed Himself to this prophet of God.
Perhaps the refilling I received at the conference will help carry me through the next busy forty days. This week alone includes volunteer orientations, camp band rehearsals, writing devotions, and finalizing countless details for camp. But as I look back on both my life and Elijah’s life, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness in busy seasons of ministry.
So today, the invitation for me—and perhaps for you—is to remember God’s faithfulness, to trust Him for strength and sustenance during difficult seasons, and to rejoice in His goodness as we walk through life with Him.
May we recognize the ravens that feed us in the ravines. May we remember how He pours out His oil of provision in places that seem close to starvation. And may we rejoice in His ever-present presence and unfailing love.
God,
You are our refuge, strength, and ever-present help in times of challenge. Thank you for your faithfulness, your callings, and your provision. Thank you for stories like Elijah’s, that show us your mercy and lovingkindness. Help us to be people who lift up our eyes to yours, who trust you for all things, and stay focused on your heart for our lives. We ask this in Jesus’s name. AMEN.
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:1-7 NIV)