JESUS SAID THERE WOULD BE DAYS LIKE THIS
I Kings 19:1-8
Matthew 6:25-34
Whenever someone asks me what brought my husband and I to Iowa in 1984, I joke that it was a big, yellow Ryder truck. If I was completely honest, I'd have to say that desperation and despair drove us to Iowa. Barely married, we both lost our jobs due to the recession. Experiencing chronic unemployment, we had already moved twice following jobs, and each move left me feeling more anxious, lonely and isolated.
The memory of that move symbolizes that time in our life. Coming into Des Moines, we missed the exit that would take us to our east-side apartment. We ended up on a two-lane highway outside of Walnut Woods State Park, which is outside of West Des Moines. I was following Tom in the truck in our car, becoming more stressed by the minute because I knew the truck and the car were both running on fumes with no gas station in sight. Finally, I couldn't take it any longer and signaled Tom to pull over. On the shoulder of that black top road, I collapsed into Tom's arms and cried and cried and cried. I couldn't take it any more. For the last three years, we had been trying and trying to keep our heads above water and just when we thought we had it made, something would happen. I wanted to just curl into a ball and give up.
Maybe that's why I can relate to Elijah. Elijah was a prophet in Israel during a time when being God's prophet wasn't very healthy. Queen Jezebel, who wanted to install the worship of Baal as the national religion had ordered that all prophets, including Elijah be hunted down and executed. After being on the run, Elijah thought the tide was going to turn. He had just finished the grudge match, God and Elijah versus the the prophets of Baal, and God won. Surely this was proof of God's might and power, proof enough to make Jezebel and the King, Ahab, turn around.
No such luck. It only made Jezebel more determined to get Elijah. She wanted revenge in a major way, so Elijah went on the run again. Discouraged and full of despair, Elijah laid down under a broom tree in the wilderness and prayed that he wouldn't wake up.
Maybe you've spent some time under a broom tree. I know I have. It's a place where we feel powerless and hopeless, where no matter how we have tried to deal with the stuff life throws at us, nothing works. Maybe it's watching a loved one making mistake after mistake knowing there's nothing we can do about it. Perhaps it's that health problem the doctors can't figure out that must leads to more tests, more procedures, different meds, and on and on. I've sat with people so overwhelmed by physical and emotional pain that death cannot come soon enough.
Bread and water, the basics for survival, and God's acknowledgement that God knows Elijah still faces a difficult time ahead of him.
Moving to Des Moines didn't solve all our problems. There were still difficult years ahead of us that tried both faith and our relationship. I don't remember any big miracles. There were some little ones and prayers that were answered in unexpected ways. If anything, that time taught me that my Plan A wasn't necessarily God's Plan A. In fact, it seems like God was more interested in my growth and transformation and not so much about changing my circumstances. Through Christ's abiding presence with me during those times, I was encouraged and strengthened, seeing that no matter what, God was going to get me through it.
The fruit of God's sustaining grace is strength, peace, growth and hope. Because of God's sustaining grace, we can say confidently that our God is bigger that anything that tomorrow has in store for us.
Jesus said there would be days like that, and he promised us the grace to live through them.
Matthew 6:25-34
Whenever someone asks me what brought my husband and I to Iowa in 1984, I joke that it was a big, yellow Ryder truck. If I was completely honest, I'd have to say that desperation and despair drove us to Iowa. Barely married, we both lost our jobs due to the recession. Experiencing chronic unemployment, we had already moved twice following jobs, and each move left me feeling more anxious, lonely and isolated.
The memory of that move symbolizes that time in our life. Coming into Des Moines, we missed the exit that would take us to our east-side apartment. We ended up on a two-lane highway outside of Walnut Woods State Park, which is outside of West Des Moines. I was following Tom in the truck in our car, becoming more stressed by the minute because I knew the truck and the car were both running on fumes with no gas station in sight. Finally, I couldn't take it any longer and signaled Tom to pull over. On the shoulder of that black top road, I collapsed into Tom's arms and cried and cried and cried. I couldn't take it any more. For the last three years, we had been trying and trying to keep our heads above water and just when we thought we had it made, something would happen. I wanted to just curl into a ball and give up.
Maybe that's why I can relate to Elijah. Elijah was a prophet in Israel during a time when being God's prophet wasn't very healthy. Queen Jezebel, who wanted to install the worship of Baal as the national religion had ordered that all prophets, including Elijah be hunted down and executed. After being on the run, Elijah thought the tide was going to turn. He had just finished the grudge match, God and Elijah versus the the prophets of Baal, and God won. Surely this was proof of God's might and power, proof enough to make Jezebel and the King, Ahab, turn around.
No such luck. It only made Jezebel more determined to get Elijah. She wanted revenge in a major way, so Elijah went on the run again. Discouraged and full of despair, Elijah laid down under a broom tree in the wilderness and prayed that he wouldn't wake up.
Maybe you've spent some time under a broom tree. I know I have. It's a place where we feel powerless and hopeless, where no matter how we have tried to deal with the stuff life throws at us, nothing works. Maybe it's watching a loved one making mistake after mistake knowing there's nothing we can do about it. Perhaps it's that health problem the doctors can't figure out that must leads to more tests, more procedures, different meds, and on and on. I've sat with people so overwhelmed by physical and emotional pain that death cannot come soon enough.
Bread and water, the basics for survival, and God's acknowledgement that God knows Elijah still faces a difficult time ahead of him.
Under that broom tree, and angel shook Elijah awake and said, "Suddenly an angel shook him awake and said: "Get up and eat!”
He looked around and, to his surprise, right by his head were a loaf of bread baked on some coals and a jug of water. He ate the meal and went back to sleep The angel of God came back, shook him awake again, and said, “Get up and eat some more—you’ve got a long journey ahead of you.” He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. (I Kings 19:6-8, The Message)
In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus understands that life happens and tomorrow comes with plenty of trouble of it owns. He also promises that in our todays as well as those troubling tromorrows to come, God will provide for our needs through God's sustaining grace.Moving to Des Moines didn't solve all our problems. There were still difficult years ahead of us that tried both faith and our relationship. I don't remember any big miracles. There were some little ones and prayers that were answered in unexpected ways. If anything, that time taught me that my Plan A wasn't necessarily God's Plan A. In fact, it seems like God was more interested in my growth and transformation and not so much about changing my circumstances. Through Christ's abiding presence with me during those times, I was encouraged and strengthened, seeing that no matter what, God was going to get me through it.
The fruit of God's sustaining grace is strength, peace, growth and hope. Because of God's sustaining grace, we can say confidently that our God is bigger that anything that tomorrow has in store for us.
Jesus said there would be days like that, and he promised us the grace to live through them.
Comments
Post a Comment