Chapter 2 · Encounter 16 of 48
Grace in Our Weakness
Prepare
Elijah has witnessed an extraordinary demonstration of God's power on Mount Carmel. Yet soon afterward, he flees into the wilderness, exhausted, afraid, and ready to give up.
As you read, pay attention to how God responds to Elijah's condition. Then consider the psalmist's description of God's compassion toward human weakness.
Read Scripture
Open each passage here without leaving this Encounter.
1 Kings 19:1-13
Elijah Flees to Horeb
1Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2So 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.”
3Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4while 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.” 5Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6He 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.
7The 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.” 8So 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. 9There he went into a cave and spent the night.
The Lord Appears to Elijah
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Psalm 103:13-14
13As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
Ponder
- Elijah is exhausted, afraid, and ready to give up. What does God do before addressing Elijah's fears or calling him forward again? What does the order of God's actions reveal about his character?
- Psalm 103describes God's compassion in light of his knowledge of human frailty. How does that description illuminate God's treatment of Elijah? How might these passages challenge the expectations you place on yourself—or imagine God places on you—during seasons of weakness?
Psalm 103
Psalm 103
Of David.
1Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
19The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22Praise the Lord, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Look Again
Did you notice that Elijah receives food, water, and rest before God addresses him at Horeb?
God's first response is not a demand for greater effort. He provides what Elijah needs for the journey.
Now return to Psalm 103:14 14for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.Psalm 103:14
Practice
Pay attention to a place in your life where you feel weary, inadequate, or spiritually discouraged.
Instead of immediately trying to correct your feelings or prove your faithfulness, acknowledge your need before God. Receive a moment of rest as a gift, remembering that his grace is not earned by your strength.
Prayer
Speak honestly with God about your limitations, weariness, or discouragement. Thank him that his gracious care does not depend on your ability to hold everything together. Ask him to renew your confidence in his goodness.