Despite my desire to write a lighthearted, humorous post this week, that’s not where God took me. Can you believe there are still more lessons from this fundraiser event? Of course there are!
Before I get into that, here’s a brief summary from 1 Kings 18 and 19:
After years of drought and national idolatry, Elijah publicly challenged 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Each side prepared a sacrifice, but only the true God would answer by fire. Baal’s prophets cried out all day in vain; Elijah prayed a brief, sincere prayer — and KABOOM — God sent fire from heaven that consumed the entire altar and even licked up the buckets of water Elijah had poured over it. The people fell on their faces, confessing, “The Lord, He is God!” Clearly, this was a mountaintop moment for Elijah.
Soon after, rain returned to the land, ending the drought. But when wicked Queen Jezebel heard of Baal’s defeat, she swore to kill Elijah. Terrified and exhausted, he fled into the wilderness, sat under a broom tree, and wished for death. Yes, despite that mountaintop experience, this is where Elijah landed — completely spent.
Instead of condemning him, God sent an angel with food and water, twice, strengthening him for a forty-day journey to Mount Horeb.
There, hiding in a cave, Elijah poured out his despair. God revealed himself — not in wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a gentle whisper, reminding Elijah that his power and presence aren’t always loud or dramatic. The Lord then renewed Elijah’s purpose, sending him back with new assignments and assuring him that 7,000 faithful people still remained in Israel.
This is one of my favorite Old Testament stories because it so clearly shows God’s incredible power — and his tender mercy toward Elijah, who so quickly replaced awe with fear.
The success of the fundraiser, in more ways than I could have ever hoped or prayed for, was a mountaintop experience for me. Lots of great endorphins and overflowing gratitude toward God.
Then came the return to reality. I wasn’t fleeing from a wicked queen, fearing for my life — but I was faced with new challenges (and a few old ones I’d put on the back burner). Discouragement and exhaustion crept in quickly.
My conversations with God sounded something like this: “Lord, could you just give me a break from responsibilities for a while? Why can’t you put someone else in charge? I need a stretch of time when I don’t wake up with something heavy weighing on my mind.” (And maybe a few more comments I won’t repeat here!)
I’ve always marveled — and not in a good way — at how Elijah could go so quickly from witnessing God’s power to wanting to die. To be clear, I wasn’t anywhere near those extremes, but I definitely experienced a bit of “mountaintop amnesia.”
That morning after church, I vowed to dig deeper into Elijah’s story — to remind myself how faithful and gentle God was to him, even after Elijah forgot what the mountaintop felt like. I knew there would be a lesson there for me, too.
Before I even made it home, I began to sense that same comfort — just not in the form of an angel bringing me food!
The sermon that day was from Colossians 1:17–23, where our pastor so clearly and beautifully described ten ways we see the preeminence of Christ: the majesty of Christ as the Creator of all things, and the intimacy of Christ as he calls us to himself through reconciliation. It was truly uplifting and exactly what my spirit needed. (And not coincidentally, the same contrast of God’s character in Elijah’s story – majesty and intimacy.)
Topping it off was the baptism of six people from our church — an absolutely joy-filled morning.
God’s comfort for Elijah came through his quiet presence, his provision, and a renewed mission. In a similar way, God provided that for me as well.
Would I still like a break and some deep-seated rest? Of course. While my mind and body still long for that, my spirit has been refreshed — and isn’t that what matters most? I’m no longer asking for (or demanding) answers from God from a pity-party perspective. He’s helped me see my Elijah moments more clearly and steadied my spirit with his peace.
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
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