Series: In God We Trust Trusting God’s Presence 1 Kings 19:1-18 Today we come to the final sermon in our series “In God We Trust.” There is much more to learn about trusting God, but in these four passages of Scripture we have learned a great deal from Elijah's example of trusting God even when it seemed that things were going wrong. So far, we have seen, at every turn, Elijah trusted God and God moved in an incredible way. Today, however, we learn from a very humbling moment of his life. We discover that, though a Prophet of God, Elijah was still a man. James 5:17a says, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.” People often put God’s messengers on pedestals of praise that we were never intended for. The old adage said it best, “The best of men, are but men at their best.” The only One worthy of such a position of praise is Jesus Christ because He alone is perfect, worthy, and true. The closer you look at any servant of God, you will find that they are an imperfect person. Perhaps nowhere do we see that more clearly in the life of Elijah than in the text that we will read today. I want to encourage you this morning to pay careful attention to this text. When the message is over, go read it in detail this week. Learn further about what Elijah experienced, what he felt, and how the enemy worked against him. I believe that you will find that the enemy is still working against us today in similar ways. However, upon careful examination you will also discover that the same God who delivered Elijah can and will deliver you if you will look to Him and trust Him. Show Text There is no easy way to address the topic at hand today. Elijah in this passage is in a moment of grave depression. He cries out to God in prayer saying, “I've had enough, oh Lord, take my life.” Have you ever been there? Have you ever felt that you had had enough, that you couldn’t take another thing? Have you been ready to throw in the towel and give up? Maybe you are there today. If so, this message is for you. Perhaps it startles you to hear such a grave and sobering thought from a man of God. The Bible does not sugarcoat it, and God does not dismiss it. It was the reality of the moment. Elijah was not alone in his experience. Moses, Solomon, Job, Jonah, and even the Apostle Paul expressed similar despair in their own lives. And, it wasn’t only men; even Rebekah experienced the same. On the other hand, perhaps this reality does not startle you at all because of the day in which we live. It is not uncommon for us in our culture to regularly hear of someone committing suicide. It seems in recent years just about every other month I am hearing about another pastor who has come to the same conclusion. Maybe the thought is completely absurd to you and you wonder, “How can someone get to that point?” Maybe you have been there before and you came to a place of examination where you yourself wondered, “How did I get here?” Regardless of which point you are at today, I want us to see from God’s Word how people get there, and how God can help you to overcome. As we study the passage, I want us to see five things that led Elijah to this place of despair, and four things that God did to give him victory: 2

I. Man’s Pit of Despair (vs. 1-4) The word “despair” is not very encouraging. The word literally means “to lose all hope or confidence.” It is not a place that anyone wants to be in, but it is a place that anyone can experience. I call it a “pit” because this is exactly what despair and depression feels like. It appears to be a pit that one can’t get out of. In Pilgrims Progress, John Bunyan described it as the “slough (swamp) of despond.” We all know what a swamp is. **ILL: Have you ever been wading in a muddy river? If so, you know how difficult it is to get out, because with every step it seems that the “pit” doesn’t want to let you go. Something about the bottom creates a suction that literally tries to keep you stuck in the mud. In the same way, when depression and despair set in, it feels impossible to overcome. So, how do we get there? While our unique circumstances and experiences may vary somewhat, I think it is important for us to be able to identify the steps that led Elijah to this moment: A. Crisis Elijah’s first step towards depression was a crisis experience. For us, this may be the most difficult step to define because a “crisis” experience can vary from person to person. What may seem a crisis to you may not seem a crisis to me, and vice versa. Additionally, our various crises come in many varieties. It may be the death of a loved one, abandonment of a spouse, betrayal of a friend, words that wounded deeply. It may be a job loss, financial loss, or simply a loss of hope in some area of life. It could be a physical crisis – a serious diagnosis, an assault, a car accident. We could go on forever with the various ways in which a crisis may be experienced, but we get the point. To further complicate this is the fact that it is often not one crisis that brings people to despair, but a series of crises that build like a 1-2-3 punch that knocks us down and takes our breath away. A professional crisis center defined it in this way, “Crisis is a state of feeling; an internal experience of confusion and anxiety to the degree that formerly successful coping mechanisms fail us and ineffective decisions and behaviors take their place. As a result, the person in crisis may feel confused, vulnerable, anxious, afraid, angry, guilty, hopeless, and helpless. Perceptions often are altered, and memory may be distorted.”

All of this accurately describes what Elijah was experiencing in this moment. After God judged the prophets of Baal by having them killed, Ahab returned home to wicked Jezebel. He told her all that had occurred: How there was a contest on Mount Carmel, how the prophets of Baal had prayed with no success, how Elijah prayed to the true God of heaven, how God sent fire from heaven, how the people bowed and declared, “The Lord, He is God.” And then, God sentenced all the unrepentant false prophets to death. When Jezebel heard that her favored prophets of Baal had been killed and that her god, Baal, was made a laughingstock, she was furious. She immediately declared to Elijah, “Within 24 hours I will have you killed.” The most wicked, aggressive, and violent leader of the day had just signed Elijah’s death warrant. Surely this was a dramatic moment, a crisis indeed. From the text, I believe that Elijah was expecting a different outcome. He has honored God, obeyed God, served God, and stood for God, and now suddenly he is sentenced to death. Though we each have our own burdens, few can relate to the burden that he bore in this moment of crisis.

B. Fear 3

These steps to depression do not stand alone. They destructively build upon one another to accomplish the enemy’s goal. Elijah went from crisis to immediate fear. For us today, this sounds strange because we aren’t in his shoes and we can clearly see all that God had already done for him. We quickly recall that God had been so good to Elijah. He had stood with Elijah when he confronted King Ahab. He had protected Elijah from the manhunt and the famine by sending him to the Brook Cherith where God provided fresh water and meals twice a day. Then God led him to a widow located 100 miles away, and there God provided bread and water every day for well over a year. Additionally, when the widow’s son died, Elijah was grieved, so he prayed over the boy and God raised him back to life. Then in 1 Kings 18, God worked so miraculously that He sent fire from heaven to prove that He alone is the One true God. God’s powerful demonstration also affirmed the fact that Elijah was His servant. So, from this perspective I am thinking, “Elijah, what are you doing? God is with you. He is on your side. You have nothing to fear.” Why is he now afraid? Well, obviously his life has been threatened, but the deeper reason is because in this moment he stopped looking to the Lord. Prior to this moment, three times God called him to do something that could have cost him his life, but all three times he was surrendered to the Word of the Lord and he obeyed. Here, he didn’t take time to seek the Lord. He didn’t take time to consider what God had already done or what He could do. Instead, he chose to walk by sight and not by faith. If this was true of Elijah, then surely it is true of us. We must always remember that we’re continually tempted to walk by sight and not by faith, and the end result will always be fear. Elijah is right on the heels of God’s great victory at Mount Carmel, but when he hears the threat from Jezebel he runs directly to the valley of despair.

If we are honest about it, we all face the same. We may fear that God won’t provide, that God is going to lead us in the wrong direction, that somebody will never change, that our life will never amount to much, that we can never change, etc. But, I remind you that we have no need to fear. We worship and serve a gracious God Who is a good Father. He can be trusted. As He said in Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” May we believe and heed the words of Jesus in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” Friends, the only power that Satan has to cause fear is the power that we give to him, so let’s resist him by putting on the armor of God and standing firm in our faith.

C. Isolation Because Elijah was afraid, he took this third step – separation and isolation. Remember in 1 Kings 18, many of the people declared, “The Lord, He is God!” This would seem the perfect time for Elijah to stay with the people to further teach them about God and His dealings with man. This would be the perfect time for Elijah to establish fellowship with these others who were returning to God. However, at the fearful word of Jezebel, he ran as fast and as far as he could. Little did he know in the moment that he was also running ahead of the Lord in order to save his own life. Please understand that all of God’s servants are likely to do foolish things when they run away from God’s will. When a pastor falls morally, people often ask, “How could this happen?” When we begin to walk by sight and depend on self, we are all destined for failure. The same Elijah that once boldly walked 4 right into the face of adversity is now running as fast as he can. How far did he go? He went 90 miles away to Beersheba. And then he went a day’s journey into the wilderness. The telling word here is “himself.” He ran away from the crowd, away from his servant, and right into a wilderness of separation and isolation to be by “himself.” He was all alone. To be clear, it seems that this is what he wanted, but it was the last thing he needed. This was a direct tool of the enemy. It seemed right to him, but it left him in a very weak and vulnerable state, just like Eve, Samson, David, and countless others. The same is true with us today. The enemy uses separation and isolation to bring all sorts of destruction into our lives. Many think they can “do life”, whatever the situation or the circumstance, on their own, but this is a lie from the devil. When we are isolated from others, it puts us in vulnerable positions and provides the devil a playground of opportunity to work against us. **ILL: This season of quarantine has been necessary for physical health reasons, but it has been catastrophic in many areas. Many marriages are greatly struggling, addictions have been at an all-time high, many who were growing spiritually have become cold and distant. Why? Because when we are isolated from our brothers and sisters who support us, sharpen us, and strengthen us, we become easy prey for the enemy’s attacks. We must remember Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

D. Weariness The fourth step is a logical conclusion. He was exhausted. He finally came to a stopping point and sat down beneath the juniper tree. A juniper tree was actually a large flowering shrub that grew in the wilderness. It was normally used by the shepherds to provide a place of rest and shade for their flocks, which is a powerful picture when we consider what God is about to do for Elijah. When the text says that he sat down, it literally means that he cast himself down. We don’t know how long it took him to get there, but he has just taken a 90 mile journey on foot and then he has walked for a full day into the wilderness. He was physically exhausted, but even more-so emotionally and mentally. His body language is saying one thing, “I’m DONE. I can’t go any further. I have no strength. I have nothing to fight for or pursue. I am done.” Friend, we must each pay close attention to ourselves and surround ourselves with people who can watch out for us when we are weary. When we get weary, we put on blinders. We can then only see things from our limited self-focused perspective and miss the truth that is right in front of our face. Nothing seems right when we are exhausted. This is why many bad decisions and foolish actions are made when we are tired. In our weariness it is easy to become a “cast” sheep. **ILL: A sheep can lay down to rest, which is good, but if it lays too long it can become cast. Literally, they lay so long that their center of gravity gets “off” and gasses begin to fill their abdomen. Without a shepherd there to help them stand back up, they will literally lay there until they die. They may call for help, they may move their legs, but they are completely hopeless on their own. In their weariness they lay down, but due to the other contributing factors, they never get up again. We must be watchful of our weariness or we are likely to reach the fifth step. E. Wrong Thinking 5

Here we come to Elijah’s final step. Remember, there was crisis, fear, isolation, weariness, and it comes to a climactic moment of wrong thinking. Remember, Jesus said this is of the devil in John 8:44b, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” This should not surprise us. The word “devil” literally means “false accuser, slanderer.” We see this in Elijah’s statement, “O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” First off, who had said anything about comparisons? God didn’t compare him to his fathers. God only wanted Elijah to trust Him and obey. Second, what difference did his fathers’ actions make in the moment? This wasn’t about anything from Elijah’s heritage, it was about his trust and obedience in the present. The point is this: Elijah has walked down each of these harmful steps and, as a result, has now filled his mind with “Stinkin’ Thinkin’.” I can hear it now, “Jezebel is trying to find me. She is going to kill me. The end is certain. I’m exhausted. I’ve got nothing else to live for. I’ve done everything God gave me to do, and now look at where I’m at. I got no money, no food, no friends, no water. I probably should have stayed with all those people that believed in God. Maybe then I would have friends. Maybe they would be growing. Maybe I shouldn’t have been afraid and ran. I’m such a failure, a disgrace. My father and grandfather were much better men than me. I bet they’d be so ashamed if they could see me now.” All of this – the crisis, the fear, the hunger, the weariness, the sense of failure, the burnout, the lack of faith, and the wrong thinking – led him to a sad conclusion. He saw no other relief, so he asked God to take his life. What a pit of despair! II. God’s Power to Deliver (vs. 5-18) If you only hear one thing today, I hope it will be this. The true living God of heaven can deliver you and set you free from despair. The same God that gave His Son to save you from your sins can through His Son save you in your sorrow. Why? Because Jesus is the Good Shepherd who graciously and patiently helps cast sheep. This is exactly what David was referring to in Psalm 23:1-3 saying, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” The word “restore” is specifically in reference to a cast sheep. When a sheep is hopelessly laying there, the unhealthy gases are building and literally taking over the internal health of the sheep. The only way it can be restored is by the shepherd going to the wounded sheep, lifting it up, caring for it, and nursing it to health. Be encouraged, Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He can and does restore the soul of all who will trust in Him. I want us to see four things that God did in this passage to bring Elijah to health: A. God Sent a Messenger to Minister Remember, Elijah was all alone, but there is something important to remember: God knew right where he was. Even when we can’t see or feel God, He knows exactly where we are. The word “angel” here literally means “messenger.” The simple fact is that God sent a messenger to minister to Elijah. When Elijah couldn’t stand on his own and saw no reason to do so, God sent someone to support and help him. Of course, this was a literal angel, and there are many other times that God ministered to others throughout Scripture by the 6 means of an angel. Can God still do this today? Absolutely, He can and does. However, I would remind each of us as well that we, too, as His children are called to be ministers to one another. We are called to come alongside of one another to love one another, serve one another, pray for one another, bear one another’s burdens, etc. It may be an unlikely source – a neighbor, a long lost friend, a co-worker – but don’t dismiss or ignore when God sends a messenger into your life. He does so for a reason. The messenger provided Elijah with a bread cake and a jar of water. Elijah slept some more. Then the angel woke him up and said, “Get up, eat, because God has a journey for you to take.” Elijah received the service of God’s messenger, ate, and went off to Mount Horeb to try to discover what God was doing. B. God Met Him in His Time of Need Mount Horeb was also known as Mount Sinai. This is where the Hebrew people entered into covenant relationship with God after they were delivered from Egypt. This is also where God gave Moses the 10 Commandments. Elijah knew the mountain well, so he went to the mountain. Apparently he was still afraid, so he found a cave. He hid there, not knowing what to do next. Then, the word of the Lord came to Elijah asking, “What are you doing here?” Elijah gives an answer, but it wasn’t the whole truth. He basically painted the picture that he was being completely faithful to God and everyone and everything had turned against him. This was partly true, but because Elijah had been wallowing in self- pity this is all he could see in the moment. Because he was functioning on the basis of wrong thinking, it led him to many false conclusions. If he had been truly faithful, then why was he now hiding out in a cave? Elijah would know that it was on this very mountain that God had passed by in front of Moses in Exodus 33. Now the word of the Lord says, “I am going to meet with you here on this mountain.” Suddenly there was a great wind like an earthquake, then there was fire (both of which remind us of God’s power over creation), and then there was a still, small voice like a gentle wind. When Elijah heard the still, small voice, he knew that it was the Lord. He covered his face and stepped out of the cave to meet the Lord. Can you imagine the moment? What was the purpose of all of this? I believe God was getting Elijah to refocus his attention and his life on the Lord. Warren Wiersbe explains it best, “All that is needed to get renewed for service is a fresh vision of the power and glory of God.” Just like God met him at the Cherith Brook and provided for him at Zarephath and showed up on Mount Carmel, here at Mount Horeb God is once against meeting him at his place of need. C. God Gave Him a Mission God could have easily rebuked Elijah and left him to die in the cave. He had, after all, abandoned his post. However, God was full of mercy and compassion to Elijah. As David said in Psalm 103:10, 14, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities…For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.” No matter how badly Elijah had failed, God knew exactly what to do and He still had a purpose for Elijah. So, God says, “Elijah, I am not done with you. I still have a purpose and plan for your life. I want you to prepare the next generation by anointing two 7 kings and a prophet. As long as I give you life and breath, I have a work for you to do. So, go now and fulfill the mission.” I love this, God knew exactly what was needed. As long as Elijah stayed wallowed in sorrow and misery under the juniper tree, he would never again be effective for the work of the Lord. As long as Elijah was paralyzed by fear, reliving the incredible crisis, isolating from others who could help him, not taking care of himself, and left to his own thinking, his end would be a sad story. However, God loved him so much that He refused to leave him alone. God met him in his greatest point of need, and there God revealed His purpose to him. This was not a pleasant season or time for Elijah, but it was through this season that God further revealed His purposes for Elijah. D. God Comforted Him What was one of Elijah’s biggest problems? He felt all alone. There’s even a bit of pride coming out as he says, “God, I’m the only one still here. I’m the only one standing for You. I am left all alone.” The truth, though, is that Elijah couldn’t see all that God was doing. Elijah didn’t know all the ways that God was working in others’ lives. God comforts him and assures him, “I will leave 7,000 who have not bowed to Baal.” In other words, He was assuring Elijah that he was not alone and that his work wouldn’t be spent in vain. God comforted His servant. This shouldn’t surprise us at all. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.” Friends, there are many struggles in life. There are all sorts of crises that we can face. The enemy would love nothing more than to use these crises to steal, kill, and destroy. He’s incredibly effective in what he does, but Jesus came that you can have life and have it abundantly. Don’t let the enemy keep you bound. You can experience the freedom and deliverance of Jesus by calling upon Him today. The message is called, “Trusting God’s Presence.” Elijah thought for a moment that he could run from the presence of God, but he quickly discovered that was impossible because God went to him, met him where he was, ministered to him, and gave him a vision for the future. I want you to know that God knows where you are and what you are going through. He has made a way for your soul to be saved. He has made a way for your spirit to be restored. If you will trust Him and follow Him, He will save you, He will change you, He will comfort you and set you on the mission and purpose that He has for your life. He is waiting. Please call upon Him today.