But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (v.4)
This mighty man of prayer – mighty enough to make the rain and the dew stop for three and a half years, and then mighty enough to make it start again at his prayer – now he prayed that he might die. Thankfully, this was a prayer not answered for Elijah. In fact, Elijah was one of the few men in the Bible to never die!
When Elijah said "It is enough," we sense that he meant, “I can’t do this anymore, LORD.” The work was stressful, exhausting, and seemed to accomplish nothing. The great work on Mount Carmel did not result in a lasting national revival or return to the LORD. Perhaps Elijah had especially hoped that the events on Mount Carmel would turn around Ahab and Jezebel and the leadership of Israel in general. If so, Elijah forgot that people reject God despite the evidence, not because of the evidence.
When Elijah examined the apparent failure of his work, he instinctively set the blame on his own unworthiness. It was because he was a sinner as the rest of his ancestors that the work seemed to fail. Yet it was not enough for the Lord had more blessings in store for him. Elijah, was to have that wonderful revelation of God on Mount Horeb. He had more to enjoy, and the later life of Elijah appears to have been one of calm communion with his God and seems never to have had another fainting fit.
Christians who pass through the dark tunnel of depression tend to focus on their sins, weaknesses and failures. So much so, that they may even want to die. Yet, God can use times like this to increase their awareness of His inexhaustible grace.
Here in 1 Kings 19 we read that Elijah was despondent. He was physically and emotionally drained after fleeing from the evil Queen Jezebel. In despair, he asked God to take his life. Instead, the angel of the Lord ministered to his physical needs. Some days later, the Lord spoke to Elijah and told him that his work was not over.
When you are in despair, the first step on the pathway to new hope is to take care of your physical needs. Then listen to God's voice through the Scriptures. He will then gently point you back to His call on your life and enable you to do His work and bless others. In our times of discouragement, let us remember that God loves us and desires to lead us to a place of a renewed vision of Himself.
The Truth:: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10)
