– By Joe Fornear
Elijah’s emotions were all over the map, and so was his body. Because of his tendency to hide in fear, sometimes only the Lord knew Elijah’s location. Once when running from Jezebel, he walked an entire day into the wilderness to distance himself from his own trusted servant.
Later, after God dusted him off and sent him back to civilization and his calling, Elijah chickened out again and hid in a cave. When questioned by the Lord, Elijah revealed himself to be the poster boy of spiritual messiness:
I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. – 1 Kings 19:10
Elijah’s response was self-righteous; prideful; judgmental; full of self-pity & victim and martyr status; and paranoid.
I can certainly relate to Elijah. Can you? James says we all can. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours” (James 5:17). The Greek here means Elijah’s emotional and spiritual makeup was similar to ours. Still, the Lord answered his bold prayers before and after his “episodes” because “the effective prayers of a righteous man accomplish much” (James 5:16). Evidently the Lord allows for weakness and failure on the part of those He considers righteous. Now there’s a good thing. Right?
So don’t beat yourself up when you fail the Lord or yourself. Burst out of those hiding places, put on the forgiveness of Jesus Christ (more on how here), and get back into the fight with passion and perseverance in His power.
Lord, deliver us from limiting You because of our failures and weaknesses.
