Adversity

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:1-9, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:

In college, I majored in English and minored in Secondary Education, planning to be a teacher and a coach. But after finishing my student teaching, I decided to change course and enter the ministry. I immediately enrolled in seminary and began serving in a variety of volunteer roles. I was zealous for the Lord and eager to see souls be saved. After finishing seminary, my family and I moved to the Spicewood area and I began seeking opportunities to serve the Lord. My passion for God burned brightly, and I yearned to be used by God to influence the lives of others. I was unsure of myself, but many of my friends and mentors had assured me that my education and volunteer experience would prove to be a boon to my ministry. Consequently, I set out to rescue souls and to bring healing and hope to the world.

Having listened to the assurances of others, I felt confident that I would be successful in whatever God brought my way. And I knew that my success would demonstrate that I was worthy of God's calling on my life. But how rapidly I learned otherwise, becoming greatly discouraged in the process! Ministry quickly became the most difficult, stressful, painful thing I ever did in my life. In the midst of adversity, I turned to the Scriptures for encouragement and rediscovered today's story of Elijah the prophet.

The day's Scripture picks up after Elijah's stunning triumph over the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah at Mt. Carmel. Yet instead of encountering a confident minister of God, we find the prophet running away to the desert and fear for his very life. Elijah gives the appearance of someone in the midst of a vocational burnout, going so far as to appear suicidal when he sits down under a broom tree to die. Elijah speaks to God, that words to the effect: "I have had enough, Lord." Despite all the miracles Elijah has seen God perform, his attitude seems to be one of self-pity and resignation.

Have you ever had a similar experience, finding yourself in the midst of adversity and sorely tempted to just "throw in the towel" or abandon the cause? Do you wonder if God really cares? Does God hear your voice?

Sooner or later as we travel along life's journey, we will encounter some adversity that threatens to strip us of all that we believe. How we respond gives testimony to our faith.

PRAYER:

Gracious Lord, give me strength in the face of whatever adversity I may encounter today, and re-fill me with the hope of your promises. Enable me, by your grace, to keep my eyes focused on you. In my own strength, I am weak and prone to stumble. But in Christ, I can do all things. So, strengthen me—this very day!—to stand fast and to hold firmly to you.

WHO AM I?

I am Tres Sansom, and I am so grateful for God's grace and patience with me. When I look back over my life, I'm astounded at the amount of arrogance and naïveté that consumed my life for so many years. Thankfully, God was kind enough to burst my bubble. Just as he did with Elijah, he helped me to see that I was not quite as essential as I thought I was. And in his grace, he brought me to a place of realizing that what matters most is my faith and confidence in him. Not my faith in myself, but by faith in him. And he also graciously taught me to see that a lot more is going on "behind the scenes" than I can see with my eyes. He is always moving and working, even in the midst of adversity, even when the effects might not be seen by me. Now, I say that he has "taught" me those things. But, truthfully, I continue to struggle with the same matters today. I continue to put way too much confidence in myself. I continue to take myself way too seriously. And, when I don't see the results that I had hoped and envisioned, I continue to struggle with self-pity and doubt about my calling. But, I think the difference between now and when I was younger, is that I recognize these things about myself a lot sooner than I used to. And, rather than judging myself and heaping guilt upon myself for having these sorts of thoughts and feelings, I now turn them over to God and rely upon his grace to move and work in my life. I am so grateful for the redeeming grace of God!