God’s Not Done Yet

Guy K. Henry

www.guyhenry.com 

King Ahab had never walked so slowly. Hesitation and dread weighed down each step. Despite his desire to turn around and run into the desert, he continued to draw nearer and nearer to the palace.

He had many reasons for not wanting to go home, but one reason was most terrible and dreadful.

In the past days the prophet Elijah had humiliated him. Elijah had challenged Ahab’s most revered god, Baal, to a showdown. Alters were built and animals were laid upon them. Gods were called upon to consume the sacrifices with fire from heaven. By the end of the day, Baal was silent, Baal was mocked, and Elijah’s God, Jehovah, burnt up both of the sacrifices. The sacrifices burnt despite the barrels of water Elijah had poured on them to further prove Jehovah’s power.

Baal was shown to be the empty, powerless piece of rock he was. Jehovah was proved to be living, powerful and very real. Yet this is not what burdened King Ahab the most.

After the sacrifices had been burnt up, Elijah rose up and declared to the crowd that had fallen in reverence to God, “Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape!” One by one Ahab watched the priests and servants of his hollow god as they were slaughtered by the sword.

Yet, this was not what burdened King Ahab’s heart the most as he approached the palace. The worst, most terrible part of this story was that in just a few short moments he had to tell the details to his wife, Jezebel.

Jezebel was a woman so evil that parents for thousands of years would refuse to give their children her name. So linked to evil is she that her name is used in John’s book of Revelation in a most unflattering way. Ahab knew that as much as he was devoted to Baal, Jezebel was obsessed and possessed by Baal.

For a moment the great king was a mouse as he tiptoed into Jezebel’s room. The wicked woman took one glance at Ahab’s worried face. “What is it?!” she spewed, not bothering with any sort of cordial greeting.

The king stood before her like a dog with its tail tucked in. He related the story awkwardly. With each detail, Jezebel’s eyes grew larger and more enraged. By the end of it she was in a terrible tantrum, throwing and breaking things.

Suddenly she stopped and her evil eyes leered towards the royal messenger. Words slithered off of her tongue.  “I swear”, she hissed, “by my life that by tomorrow, I will kill Elijah, the same way he killed my priests. He will DIE!” Her eyes seemed to buzz as she emphasized that last word.

The messenger took the message down word for word and then fled from the room before he became the subject of her wrath. He hurried to where Elijah was staying, and read the message to him.

One might imagine that Elijah, having experienced the great power of God would have sent back a message assuring Jezebel of her doom instead. But, he did not. You see, when that messenger had entered his room, a spirit of discouragement followed in behind him.

So great was this discouragement that the once powerful prophet of God fled to the wilderness in fear, taking no supplies. He allowed Jezebel’s threat to cut into him down to his bone. The image of that terrible woman standing over him with sword raised caused him to zigzag through the desert. The hands that once wielded fire from the sky, now trembled with fear.

After walking in the hot sun for most of the day, he came upon a shade tree. He leaned up on it, still surrounded by that spirit of discouragement. “God,” he said, “I have had enough. I can take no more. Let me die. Take my life.” He then fell asleep.

He awoke startled because even though he knew he was alone, he thought he felt a tap on his shoulder, and a voice whispering, “Arise and eat.”

His eyes cleared and he noticed a lovely cake of bread cooking on a fire. As he stood up he bumped his head on a cool flask of water. This was such wonderful refreshment to find in the midst of the cruel wilderness. He sat and ate the amazing provisions, and he began to feel the fear and discouragement melt away.

He slipped back into sleep, and again he was awakened by that voice. There was more bread baking on the fire, and more water to refresh him. This miracle of food continued to fill him for forty days.

He was staying in a cave when one day the voice of God came to him. “What are you doing here?” God asked.

Elijah repeated to God the discouragement that was lodged in his heart. “The people of Israel have left you, it seems that I am the only one left. Even then, they seek to kill me.” Elijah knew this was exaggerated, but so low had his spirit sunk that the words seemed to cover the situation and his feelings.

Just then God caused a wild wind to tear through the rocks of the mountain. The wind reminded him of the terrible way he had been bounced around in his ministry. God was not in the wind. Then God caused an earthquake that shook the mountain. Elijah was reminded how Jezebel had shaken his foundation. He knew God was not in the earthquake. Then Elijah watched the land around him as it was consumed with fire. It reminded him of the destruction and doom he felt. God was not in the fire.

Then it says in 1 Kings 20:12, “and after the fire a still small voice.” God’s voice had been there all the time. When things, storms, and people raged against him he could not hear God’s voice, but it was there. When he felt beaten down, he could not hear God’s voice, but it was there. It was always there.

Elijah had time to realize that instead of taking Jezebel’s threat and panicking, all he really needed to do was quiet down and listen for God’s voice. It was there. It had always been there.

I do the same thing. When problems and threats come my way, I get all excited. I set about trying to solve them, when what I really should be doing is quieting down. If I would do that, I’d hear God’s voice.

Even when I do try and solve my own problems, God is always there. He hasn’t baked me a cake of bread, or delivered cool water in the desert, but he has sustained me in many other miraculous ways. God waits for me to get quiet so that he can talk to me.

I am reminded of one of the hardest to grasp verses in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Temptation here is also accurately translated ‘adversity’.

I hope that my honesty doesn’t offend you. Sometimes my nature causes me to respond poorly to this verse. “Oh really?” I ask, “Well I sure feel like I am at the limit of what I can bear right now. I feel like if I take one more step, I will fall over the ledge and crash into the rocks below. I can take no more.” Thankfully, according to 1 Corinthians 10:13, that will never happen, no matter how much despair I am feeling. Destruction may seem imminent, but God promises to provide an escape.

I believe that God placed this story of Elijah in 1 Kings chapters 18 and 19 to teach me some important lessons.

Firstly, I am going to get discouraged. People will oppose me, and try to knock me down. Being a Christian isn’t a guarantee of a life with no problems. I think of what Jesus said in John 15:20  “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.“

Secondly, even though my despair shows the limit of my faith, God is still faithful. He is still there. If I calm down and get quiet, I’ll even hear him as he shows me the way. Even when I am a mess, he is still watching over me, protecting me. I never stop being his child. He never stops being my father! It is then that the words of Hebrews 13:5  “…and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” bring me comfort.

Lastly, God is not done with me. My failures and weaknesses never cause God to give up on me. Elijah went on to do many more great things. When it was time for Elijah to go to heaven, God even sent him a fiery chariot to come and get him. I am so encouraged by Philippians 1:6,  “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

It is comforting that when I despair, I am experiencing something that even God’s great prophet also experienced. It is also comforting for me to read this story and be able to see that God is always closer than I think.