Psalms 16:2, 8:1, and 31:1-3a

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in 1 Kings 17-20. Elijah prayed that it would not rain and informed Ahab that no rain would fall except by his word (1 Kings 17:1). A drought came upon the land that lasted 3.5 years. Elijah challenged Jezebel’s prophets of Baal to a prayer duel. The prophets of Baal prayed to their gods for fire to fall upon their sacrifice, but no fire fell. Elijah prayed to the God of Israel for fire to consume his sacrifice, and the fire fell. He slew all the prophets of Baal at the brook of Kishon, that runs along the base of Mt. Carmel and empties into the Mediterranean at Haifa Bay. Then he prayed for rain, and it fell, ending a 3.5-year drought (1 Kings 19).

He advised Ahab that rain was coming and instructed him to get ahead of it and return to his palace in Jezreel, about 40 miles from Mt. Carmel. Ahab reported to Jezebel what Elijah had done, and she immediately sent a messenger to inform him that she would have him killed by the next day. Elijah fled!

This brings me to the verse where the Mind of the Spirit engaged the spirit of my mind, 1 Kings 19:4:

1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

Why was Elijah depressed?

Along the still waters, as I reflected on this question, I wondered what did Elijah expect? Apparently, he felt he was alone (1 Kings 19:14), but God said He had 7,000 who had not bowed the knee nor kissed the hand of Baal (1 Kings 19:18). Did he expect revival to come with the rain? God had shown Himself to Israel, to the compromised prophets of the groves, to the prophets hiding in the caves, to the feckless king and wicked queen of Israel—yet after all the show, after fire fell from heaven, followed by a drought broken by rain, all at the command of the Prophet of Israel’s GOD, nothing changed. Ahab continued to be the weasel sycophant under Jezebel’s power; Jezebel was not at all impressed by Elijah’s demonstration of God’s power and glory and Baal’s emptiness and vanity, but vowed to her “gods” that she would kill Elijah — nothing changed!

Did he expect Ahab to put his evil queen aside, or that she would die? Did this shake the faith of Elijah so that he would flee from a woman’s scorn? What did God not do that discouraged Elijah so deeply that he would pray to die? Why did Elijah feel like an utter failure?

God met with Elijah and showed him something. God was not in a wind that rent rocks, or an earthquake that shook and split the earth, or a fire whose flame mysteriously burned the air. He manifested in a still small voice that only those with ears can hear (1 Kings 19:10-14). While Elijah was laboring to bring his nation to GOD by the withholding and giving of rain, and the fall of fire from heaven, God was reserving to Himself 7,000 who heard the “still small voice” that spoke to their hearts, do not bow to Baal, do not kiss him—do not depart from your GOD, the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, do not turn your heart from Me to Baal.

In the valley, the “still small voice” spake: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). When I heard it, I “wrapped [my] face in [my] mantle,” and communed with my GOD a while!

At His table, He anointed my head with His oil, filled my cup with His grace, and said to my heart, you have your instructions—Follow Me! Goodness and mercy hurried to catch up as we went together into the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏