Carol J German

There are days, perhaps seasons, when walking with God is toilsome and tiring. While you hope that each day with the Lord is joyful and fulfilling, often they are not. You find yourself like Elijah in the Old Testament, discouraged and tired. In 1 Kings 19:1-20, you read how worn out Elijah is spiritually.

God spoke through prophets in the Old Testament. The enemy was killing them off and Elijah felt like he was the only one left to help the Israelites stay focused on God. A drought had taken place making life harder than normal. God sent Elijah to King Ahab of Israel. He had good news, the drought was coming to an end; see 1 Kings 18:41-46. (It might be good to know that Ahab wasn’t a follower of God and he was married to Jezebel who also did not follow God. Read 1 Kings 18:17 and 19:2 and see how they viewed Elijah.) So, facing the king and his wife would be one of trusting God for his safety. Fear had to have been in the forefront of his mind.

Just before God was going to send rain, Elijah summoned the Israelites as well as all the false prophets to a show down. Who’s god is the true God? Read 1 Kings 18:1-40 to see how God proved Himself over all the gods that people tended to follow. The Israelites needed a big reminder in who God was. Elijah needed it too, and you and I need daily reminders of who God is.

Studying these few chapters in 1 Kings gives a glimpse into Elijah’s humanity while walking faithfully with God. His days were not all joyful and fulfilling. They were hard. And in 1 Kings 19, you read how worn out he was spiritually and physically, I would add.

Fear had set in, and Elijah fled for his life. He went alone into the wilderness. “I have had enough Lord, take my life.”⁴ Have you ever said these words to God? Have you felt that worn out?

God understands and He never leaves your side amidst your tiredness or despair. You see God leading Elijah personally while he slept under a tree. God provided nourishment for him for He knew what Elijah needed for the road ahead. God knows what you need to. Will you listen and obey despite your weariness?

God sent Elijah on the same journey as Moses and the Israelites went on to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. God’s nourishment strengthened Elijah for 40 days and nights of travel to the mountain. While there, God let Elijah vent his frustrations 2 times! His frustrations reflected how tired and discouraged he was. Do you realize that you can go to God and vent? He can handle whatever troubles you.

Then God led Elijah where He would reaffirm Himself to His beloved servant. He had him stand up and God passed by in a mighty windstorm. What makes this unique is the Bible tells you that in the wind, earthquake, and fire, God was not in them. In my Bible Knowledge Commentary by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, God revealed Himself in a different way than a few days prior when God set a very wet-soaked altar on fire (see 1 Kings 18:38-39). The wind, earthquake and fire are associated with Baal, the false god that many followed. You see God reigniting Elijah’s faith! He was readjusting Elijah’s mindset to become more focused on Him and not his circumstances.

In Exodus 3:14, “God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”

God was saying the same thing to Elijah. God is saying this to you too. How well do you surrender to His Lordship? Does God have your permission to change your thinking? Take the time to read Ezekiel 36:26 and Romans 12:2.

After the fire, Elijah heard a gentle whisper. Do you hear the gentle words of the Lord? He will never scream at you in a loud voice. That is reserved for the voices in the world that are opposed to the Living God. They will flaunt themselves in front of you so you will see them and not God. Pay attention, God speaks to you. Do you hear Him?

God led Elijah to three assignments in which he obeyed.

Here are a few lessons from the commentary I read that would describe a worn-out heart for the Lord: 1. Feelings take over which makes you feel alone, defenseless against ungodly forces that threaten to overpower you. These forces are very real. 2. Elijah probably knew he wasn’t alone. In verse 19:18, God will preserve 7,000 Israelites who have remained faithful. Yet, he sure felt alone. 3. When you are fearful or discouraged, you tend to only see the dark side. 4. Despite walking faithfully, it’s easy to sense failure when you face obstacle after obstacle of unmet expectations or unanswered prayers. It may appear like nothing seems to be changing or no one is interested in walking deeper with the Lord. You feel alone. 5. Even when God reveals truth to you, it is easy to forget and see unbelief around you more. 6. Even when you see the glory of the Lord and understand who He is, often times you can’t get past your own mindset. What plagues you where it causes you to not respond to the Almighty God?

When you read about people in the Bible, be assured that God is not looking for perfect people to follow Him. He takes sinful humans and helps them to become vessels of love, grace, and mercy. All He needs from you is a willingness to follow His Son and His Word. God will keep you from becoming worn out, tired, and discouraged. All you need to do is to trust God with everything.

Each day, walk with God moment-by-moment and He will keep you from becoming worn out.