The Phil Dooley 5 Day Men's Growth ChallengeSample

Elijah

Our next hero, Elijah, is not only the most famous of the prophets, but also one of the all-round most imposing and commanding people in the entire Old Testament. 

God sends Elijah to rescue Israel from Baal worship. Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a showdown at Mount Carmel and wins, hands down. Consequently, the people fall on their faces and cry out: ‘The Lord is God!’ Elijah then kills all 450 prophets of Baal, prays for rain to end the drought  a great rainstorm follows), and then runs all the way to the capital city of Jezreel. 

In Jezreel, things begin to unravel for Elijah. Queen Jezebel has heard that Elijah has slaughtered the prophets of Baal and sends him the following message: ‘May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.’ (1 Kings 19:2, NLT).

Unbelievably, considering all his heroic feats up to this point, Elijah becomes afraid and flees. So what just happened?!

Elijah has reached his limit. Plainly put, he’s exhausted. On top of that, he’s also confronted with his own limitations. He ran all the way to Jezreel expecting revival, but when he gets there nothing has changed. Despite his best efforts, he hasn’t succeeded in saving Israel. And now he’s deeply disappointed.

Disappointment can throw us into a crisis. Add exhaustion to the mix and everything seems ten times worse. Under these circumstances, we men often disconnect. We escape to the man cave or golf course. We spend our time watching sport, or we find another escape in destructive behaviours like drinking too much alcohol or watching pornography. 

Elijah disconnects too. He travels into the desert alone, sits down under a tree, and prays for death. ‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he says. ‘Take my life …’ (1 Kings 19:4, NLT).

Often, in our moments of crisis, we’re also over-tired, as Elijah is here. What we need to do (unless the house is burning down) is to rest and recharge. I like this quote by American footballer Vince Lombardi: ‘Fatigue makes cowards of us all.’ 

God understands that our physical bodies have limitations. The Angel of the Lord prepares a meal for Elijah, wakes him, and encourages him to eat because the journey is far from over. 

See, a limit is not the end, even if it feels like game over. God hasn’t finished with Elijah yet. In fact, God’s plan for Elijah and for Israel is still on track. God sends Elijah to anoint two kings, as well as his successor, Elisha. Then God includes Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration alongside Moses, where the two of them get to talk to Jesus about God’s true plan to save not only Israel, but all humanity. 

I wonder what Elijah would tell us if he were here today? Perhaps he would say: "Take heart! Don’t get discouraged. God is with you in this. He is your Rock, your shield, your refuge, your strength, your help. And He knows no limitations."