Finding God in the WildernessSample

Focus

Reflect on today’s reading using these questions.

1. What does God do in response to Elijah?
2. Is this what you would expect God to do?

God provides for Elijah’s needs

While riding high after an amazing win over the false prophets of Baal, Elijah’s life is threatened by Queen Jezebel. He runs to the wilderness hoping to hide and die alone. He laments that he is no better than his ancestors. How did you imagine God would respond to Elijah? You might think that God would be angry. You might think he would lecture Elijah about his lack of faith or demand that he get back to work. Instead, God provides surprising care for Elijah.

Notice what is not provided. There are no sermons, no lectures, no threats from God. Instead, God supplies Elijah’s most basic needs. An angel brings food and water and lets him sleep. Elijah is then sent on a journey and finds the provisions are enough for him to complete the trip.

Think about what Elijah would have had to do on this forty-day hike. He would need to watch where he steps to avoid tripping or getting stung by a scorpion. He would need to search for places to rest and sleep. Such attention to practical detail may have helped Elijah “get out of his head” and stop thinking so much about the threat to his life. It may have helped him to calm his emotions.

Connect

1. Looking back on difficult times in your life, what kinds of compassionate care did you receive? Did you receive lectures, explanations, or rebukes from well-meaning friends when you were at low points? How was it similar or different to how God responds to Elijah?
2. Like Elijah, what journey did (or do) you need strength to undertake?
3. Have you found physical exercise, like walking, helps you process your grief or stress?

Dig Deeper

You may be familiar with Psalm 34, which talks about God’s compassion for the broken and crushed in spirit. Read verse 18 again as you consider how God expressed his compassion to Elijah.

The LORD is near to those who are discouraged;
he saves those who have lost all hope. (Psalm 34:18 GNT)