Have you ever had one of those days where you just didn't want to be around anybody? A time when you just wanted to be alone and not interact with anyone for any reason. Ironically, oftentimes the less you feel like being around others, the more you actually need it. You may be dealing with loneliness right now, and the way you're dealing with this loneliness is by isolating yourself, which is the opposite of what Scripture would tell us to do. The more you withdraw, the lonelier you will feel. Elijah felt this kind of loneliness in 1 Kings 19. But God has not designed us to go off into the desert by ourselves, sit under a tree, and think about how hard life is. We need other people around us!
You may think or feel that you're alone, but you're not really alone in your circumstances. One of the most powerful things that happens for us is when we gather together for worship in community with others. In those moments, you see you’re not alone and others are in this with you. God does several things for Elijah in response to his despair, and we read about what God does in 1 Kings 19:5. It’s important for us to notice that God is gentle and kind in his approach to Elijah’s feelings of discouragement. First, God gives Elijah rest. Second thing God does is he gives Elijah his presence. But one of the most important things that God does is giving Elijah a new friend in Elisha, and God lets them work together. There is so much power in working towards Kingdom goals with others that are like-minded and also striving to propel the will of the Lord.
DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTION: Who has God brought into your life that really made a difference during a time of despair? Who in your life can you be that friend for right now?
Comments