By Lee Brainard
One of the most encouraging verses in the Bible for me is 1 Kings 19:4. “But [Elijah] went a day’s journey into the wilderness, sat down under a juniper tree: and requested that he might die, saying, ‘I’ve had enough already, O LORD, take away my life. Things aren’t going any better for me than they did for my fathers.'”
Some might wonder why I find so much encouragement in this. It’s very simple. Elijah was one of the most used men of God in the history of the world, yet he was wired no differently than I am. He had the same emotional weaknesses that I have. As James states it, “Elijah was a man with the same passions that we have” (James 5:17-18). The LWB version says, “Elijah was an emotional basket-case just like we are.” Elijah’s pity party and this reminder are in the Bible for a reason. To remind us that our emotional weaknesses are not a hindrance to God using us in big ways and great works. God uses good men and women despite their moodiness, frustrations, discouragements, and break downs. This should be a huge encouragement to all who are trying to serve the Lord in their fallen body in this fallen world.
Who hasn’t had their Elijah moments in the work of the Lord or in the battles of life trying to be a faithful follower of Christ? Who hasn’t wilted under the pressure, walked out into the wilderness in their heart, sat down as a battered soul, and told the Lord that they had reached their breaking point―that they were done with the ministry, done with swimming against the current, done with fighting, perhaps even wishing for death?
Thankfully, the Bible presents a plethora of examples where God used men in big ways, despite the fact that they were beset by emotional weakness. The truth is, these weaknesses—these painful proofs that we are mere mortals—are not hindrances to serving God. At least they don’t have to be. Recognizing and owning our human nature weaknesses is our passport to the path to blessing. We tap into God’s strength when we own and confess our weakness. “His strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:8-9).
Moses emotionally sensed his lack of gifting and ability (Ex. 4:10), and his anger got the best of him on at least one occasion (Num. 20:10-11), yet despite his weaknesses, God used him to deliver Israel and lead them to blessing. He led them out of Egypt, through the wilderness, to the border of the Promised Land.
David’s fears led him to flee to an unreasonable place (1 Sam. 21:10) and then led him to engage in odd activity to extricate himself from a situation that he shouldn’t have been in (1 Sam. 21:12-13). Later on, David’s fears led him to return to the same unreasonable place (1 Sam. 27:1-4). Dare we even mention that he was overcome with amorous passions and damaged his reputation (2 Sam. 11:1-4). Yet despite his emotional weaknesses, which tainted his testimony on a few occasions, David had a heart after God’s heart (1 Sam. 13:14), and God used him in a mighty way.
Peter had emotional instabilities that led to emotional highs of overconfidence (Matt. 26:35) and emotional lows of painful reality (Matt. 26:74-75). Yet the Lord commissioned him to “feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). Later on, Peter’s fears of the Jews led him to compromise the purity of the gospel (Gal. 2:11-14), yet God still used Peter mightily as one of his apostles. In the kingdom, he will be on the twelve who sit on thrones over the twelves tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28).
So let the Scriptures encourage you. Your emotional baggage is not worse than the emotional baggage which saddled Elijah, Moses, David, or Peter. These men were not equipped with a superior emotional component. They were men of the same passions. They suffered the same emotional storms that roil your heart and mind. Yet God used them mightily. And he wants to use you mightily. Just trust Him and go forward in your gifting and calling. Submit yourself unto the Lord if and where you need to and trust him. Let him work through your weakness in his strength. Let him take you where your own human strength could never take you. Let him make you what your own human strength could never make you. Let him raise you in ways your human strength never could.
Eyes wide open, brain engaged, heart on fire,
Lee
soothkeep.info
One of the most encouraging verses in the Bible for me is 1 Kings 19:4. “But [Elijah] went a day’s journey into the wilderness, sat down under a juniper tree: and requested that he might die, saying, ‘I’ve had enough already, O LORD, take away my life. Things aren’t going any better for me than they did for my fathers.'”
Some might wonder why I find so much encouragement in this. It’s very simple. Elijah was one of the most used men of God in the history of the world, yet he was wired no differently than I am. He had the same emotional weaknesses that I have. As James states it, “Elijah was a man with the same passions that we have” (James 5:17-18). The LWB version says, “Elijah was an emotional basket-case just like we are.” Elijah’s pity party and this reminder are in the Bible for a reason. To remind us that our emotional weaknesses are not a hindrance to God using us in big ways and great works. God uses good men and women despite their moodiness, frustrations, discouragements, and break downs. This should be a huge encouragement to all who are trying to serve the Lord in their fallen body in this fallen world.
Who hasn’t had their Elijah moments in the work of the Lord or in the battles of life trying to be a faithful follower of Christ? Who hasn’t wilted under the pressure, walked out into the wilderness in their heart, sat down as a battered soul, and told the Lord that they had reached their breaking point―that they were done with the ministry, done with swimming against the current, done with fighting, perhaps even wishing for death?
Thankfully, the Bible presents a plethora of examples where God used men in big ways, despite the fact that they were beset by emotional weakness. The truth is, these weaknesses—these painful proofs that we are mere mortals—are not hindrances to serving God. At least they don’t have to be. Recognizing and owning our human nature weaknesses is our passport to the path to blessing. We tap into God’s strength when we own and confess our weakness. “His strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:8-9).
Moses emotionally sensed his lack of gifting and ability (Ex. 4:10), and his anger got the best of him on at least one occasion (Num. 20:10-11), yet despite his weaknesses, God used him to deliver Israel and lead them to blessing. He led them out of Egypt, through the wilderness, to the border of the Promised Land.
David’s fears led him to flee to an unreasonable place (1 Sam. 21:10) and then led him to engage in odd activity to extricate himself from a situation that he shouldn’t have been in (1 Sam. 21:12-13). Later on, David’s fears led him to return to the same unreasonable place (1 Sam. 27:1-4). Dare we even mention that he was overcome with amorous passions and damaged his reputation (2 Sam. 11:1-4). Yet despite his emotional weaknesses, which tainted his testimony on a few occasions, David had a heart after God’s heart (1 Sam. 13:14), and God used him in a mighty way.
Peter had emotional instabilities that led to emotional highs of overconfidence (Matt. 26:35) and emotional lows of painful reality (Matt. 26:74-75). Yet the Lord commissioned him to “feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). Later on, Peter’s fears of the Jews led him to compromise the purity of the gospel (Gal. 2:11-14), yet God still used Peter mightily as one of his apostles. In the kingdom, he will be on the twelve who sit on thrones over the twelves tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28).
So let the Scriptures encourage you. Your emotional baggage is not worse than the emotional baggage which saddled Elijah, Moses, David, or Peter. These men were not equipped with a superior emotional component. They were men of the same passions. They suffered the same emotional storms that roil your heart and mind. Yet God used them mightily. And he wants to use you mightily. Just trust Him and go forward in your gifting and calling. Submit yourself unto the Lord if and where you need to and trust him. Let him work through your weakness in his strength. Let him take you where your own human strength could never take you. Let him make you what your own human strength could never make you. Let him raise you in ways your human strength never could.
Eyes wide open, brain engaged, heart on fire,
Lee
Elijah — I've Had Enough Lord!
One of the most encouraging verses in the Bible for me is 1 Kings 19:4. “But [Elijah] went a day’s journey into the wilderness, sat down under a juniper tree: and requested that he might die, saying, ‘I’ve had enough already, O LORD, take away my life. Things aren’t going any better for me than...
soothkeep.info
