Lord, help us!There are times when things look bad, when it seems that life is absolutely bleak. And they will come into the lives of most people. Rare is the person that has a life of continual joy and happiness. In fact I have always doubted either their assertion or their sanity, one or the other, when someone tells me they never have a bad day.
The fire has consumed the wilderness pastures,
and flames have burned up all the trees.
Even the wild animals cry out to you
because the streams have dried up,
and fire has consumed the wilderness pastures. (Joel 1:19-20)
But it seems worse with some people. It felt this way with Elijah, the great prophet of God. Here was a man with awesome power given him by God and who was undeniably even by those who hated him, a spokesman for God. He was a powerful man who used his God-given power in such a way that there never was any arrogance or hubris involved. He just did what God wanted and God was pleased with him.
He was such a great man of God that he is one of only two people in the Bible that didn’t die. Instead, the Bible shows him as having been taken up into heaven in a burning chariot.
He was a strong enough person that when the Old Testament is mentioned, it is called Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets. He was so dominant that his name stood for the whole Bible other than that part Moses was responsible for.
But even so, he became afraid and ran for his life, thinking that he was the only faithful one left in Israel.
In 1 Kings 18, there was contest between God and the prophets of Baal, the primary Canaanite deity. The power of God was shown so greatly that day that the nation temporarily turned back to God. But the next day, Jezebel, the queen of Israel, old someone that when she saw Elijah, she would kill him.
He ran and hid. When God came to him, his comment in 1 Kings 19:10 was: “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” Everybody has turned from you and I alone am left. In fact, he said this to God twice in the chapter in two different instances.
God told him that there were more like him, that he was not alone, to just do what God wanted. And he did.
There are times when it seems the world is conspiring to kill you and that no one cares. And sometimes it may even be true. There may be no life grass around you, no shade from trees in your life, even the wildlife are suffering from your spiritual drought.
But as with Elijah, when it comes, and it will, do as the prophet Joel did here in this passage. Cry out to the one Source that will save, who will help in the only meaningful way.
He is there, even in the drought. And he will save.
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