“Ups & Downs”

Everyone has their “ups & downs”…. athletes, politicians, business & professionals, brick layers, people like you and me, and even religious people. 

The great Elijah the prophet is no exception. On the plus side, he had some of the greatest moments in salvation history:

• the incredible victory over the prophets of Baal after his wonderful challenge….“How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” (ref. 1Kings 18:18-40) Well, God gave Elijah a magnificent victory. 
• If that wasn’t enough, how about his being taken to heaven in a fiery chariot? (2Kings 2:11) 
• And finally he joins Moses at the transfiguration of Jesus. (Mt. 17:1-8)

Yet Elijah also had his moments of discouragement. After the amazing victory over the 450 prophets of Baal and the infamous Ahab and Jezebel, he lost his nerve and went from “warrior to wimp”. Jezebel threatened him and “he was afraid, and went for his life, going a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers.” (1Kings 19:1-4)  Maybe the greatest prophet, who had seen the Lord work mighty miracles, was running for his life and seriously “down in the dumps”. Yikes.

So what can we learn from this? Well, we should know that we all are going to have some “ups & downs” …. some successes and some failures. We shouldn’t get “too up or too down”. How did the Lord help Elijah when he was down and out…. what did he tell him… did he say,  ”Hey El, don’t be such a wimp…what’s wrong with you… don’t you love me, don’t you trust me… shape up big boy or ship out…” 

Actually he didn’t say anything like that. He just helped him to get back on track; he knew he was exhausted and that he was human…… “an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank, and lay down again.And the angel of the LORD came again a second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, else the journey will be too great for you.”And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. And there he came to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD… And behold, there came a voice to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”He said, ….”Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;(1Kings 9: 5-15) 

So the Lord knew that Elijah had given all for him and was “out of gas”, so he helped him to finish the last things he had for him and then sent the fiery chariot to bring him gloriously into heaven. God knows when we’re “out of gas” and have no more to give. He will then give us some food and sleep and prepare us for any last jobs, and then will take us home. 

So may we have confidence that when we have no strength left and are out on our feet, that the Lord will not abandon us, but will send “angels” to help us so that we can finish all that he has for us. We all have our “ups & downs”, but God will make sure we finish on an “up”. And that is very good news.