The LORD's Day June 10, 2007

The LORD is Our Soul’s Restorer

I Kings 19.1-18

I love this passage. You may remember when we have looked at it before.

This passage reflects a need we often have- that of having our own souls renewed. We are human. We get tired. We can get overwhelmed. We can lose our perspective and fall into depression and discouragement. We can get to a point where we feel worthless and that there is no use going on.James 5.17 Elijah was a man just like us.

Elijah had been doing God’s Work and God’s Will. He accomplished great things. He was very zealous for the Lord. He got to a place where he was exhausted. One of the lessons I learned many years ago is that we can be in God’s will and doing God’s work (having Him work through us) and get to a point of being depleted emotionally. I think it is at the point where we feel that things are going to work out and that there will be little or no opposition- usually after a movement of God’s Spirit or a time of cleansing. When opposition comes when we are tired and worn out hearts melt. Elijah’s did. His heart melted and his courage gave way and he was running for his life (I’m getting ahead of myself here).

Let’s go back to where this whole thing started: The contest on Carmel. (v.1) Then Queen Jezebel made a threat. Elijah just took on all the prophets of Baal. Now a queen is making threatening statements (she knew where he was!) and he was afraid (v.3). He acted on that fear and ran for his life. The psychologists call this the fight or flight syndrome (Psalm 11 is the answer for Elijah’s flight choice.). You are committed to something then opposition or difficulties come and the person sees running as the only viable choice There are many people like this. They look at moving as a way to a new life.

What are you doing here Elijah?- v.9

1. What are YOU doing here ELIJAH?

There are group of Christians who have been so influenced by the health and wealth teaching that they do not believe a believer should ever get depressed. They go so far to say that if he is depressed he must have sinned or worse yet that he is not a believer at all. God help us
Believers do get depressed and sometimes like Elijah did to the point of as Paul the apostle 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us
Having said that God did ask Elijah this question, and the emphasis may have been on Elijah himself. He called him by name. Elijah’s name means My God is Jehovah.

God was asking him based on the nature of his name. You, who are called by My Name- what are you doing here? I am the LORD God Almighty and you are one of mine.

Now I don’t think it was a question of harsh rebuke. In fact it may have not even been a rebuke at all. God was getting Elijah to confess his problem. He knew that was the beginning of the pathway of healing and restoration. If you look at Elijah’s response it was in line with this thought. He issued his complaint to the LORD.

There is a difference between issuing a complaint and having a complaining spirit. I do not like to be around people who complain continually. It is interesting that many of the people who have this attitude are the very ones who have so much. But that is a whole other Bible Study

We are called sons and daughters of God- children of God. We are addressed by Jesus as His little flock. When we get to a place or similar places like Elijah was in, I believe the LORD asks us similar questions. “What are you doing here, daughter or son?” We have a Father in Heaven Who cares for us and we need to remember that when we fall into despair.

I like the fact that God used his name. He wanted Elijah’s attention and it was personal. Again I don’t believe it was the same way we use our children’s names or grandchildren’s. When I used to hear my mom say, Lawrence Albert Mancini, Jr. I knew I was in hot water. I knew that a spanking might follow and I usually knew why too I don’t think it was like that with God and Elijah. I think the LORD many times when we are in this state comes to us with compassion because He knows we are dust. He made us. He knows our limits.


2. WHAT are you DOING here, Elijah? v.10

The answer: Hiding for my life, recovering from exhaustion, wanting to die (not fully or he would not have run )

Elijah had come to the end of his strength. He was wiped out emotionally and afraid.

Elijah is known as the prophet of deeds. We know about what he did than what he said and there is no book that he penned. Unlike Jeremiah or Isaiah who wrote, Elijah is a man of activity. But the activity in his life has come to a halt. He has stopped and the Lord is asking about this.

The journey to this place took 41 days. (vs.3-9) It certainly was not a pleasure trip. I remember doing my uncle’s funeral 18 years ago and driving all night to get there, then having to speak to his church and my family- not a pleasure trip.
I didn’t have anyone chasing me like poor Elijah.

The LORD told him, “The journey has been too much for you.” (v.7) We can get there. It is easy to get overwhelmed these days with all that comes at us. Life is not as simple as it once was. We deal with issues today we didn’t have to concern ourselves with not too many years ago. Maybe today the journey has been too much for you. I love God’s prescription. Have some nourishment (And some sleep )

Elijah was moving again.


3. What are you doing HERE, Elijah?

When God asked about “here” He was referring to the cave or den or hole Elijah was in. When we captured Saddam Hussein in Iraq he was hiding in a hole and said to our soldiers, “I am the president of Iraq.” Not a place for a president to be Elijah was in a similar spot- certainly not a place for a prophet of God to be

Emotional fatigue is worse than being physically tired. Elijah was not just physically tired he was emotionally spent.

God told Elijah to get up and to stand by the mountain for the LORD Himself was about to pass by. When we get to the end of ourselves we need a fresh meeting with God We need to have Him reveal Himself to us. Many times it means reading His Word. It is living and active and will go right to the heart of the issue. Take it with you outside among God’s creation.

Sometimes we too can be in places we don’t belong. If you are depressed you will have a hard time getting out of bed. It may be that your thinking is off. Negative thinking can make us feel bad. Taking things too seriously to the point of never laughing can be bad for us and others. A friend of mine sent me one of those paper weights that have words engraved in them. The one he sent me simply said, LAUGH ” I got the message and it is a Biblical one too

What are you a man or woman of God doing in a place of no faith or hope? Elijah went from a mountain top of Carmel to a cave in Horeb. Carmel means Garden Land. It is a mountain on the Mediterranean coast of northern Israel. Horeb means Desert. Elijah went from a Garden Land to a Desert. We can too. We can go from a place of fruitfulness to a place where we produce little fruit. We don’t always do that on purpose. Some times life itself does it to us It can happen as we work hard and long and don’t take time to eat right or sleep enough and it can even happen to people as they serve the LORD.

He stopped at Beersheba, a city at the south edge of Israel. The name Beersheba means well of sevenfold oath. Abraham and Abimelech made an oath there and Abraham sealed it by giving him 7 little lambs. He had dug a well there and he had planted a grove there. Elijah left his servant there. Now he is all alone and he is leaving a place of food and water that came from the father of the faithful.

In Horeb, God showed Elijah some powerful displays of nature: Wind, Earthquakes and fire. But God was not in them. He asked Elijah again what he was doing there and it was in a still small voice or a gentle whisper. God was not mad at Elijah. He understood his dilemma. I love His solution

* He got him out of the cave God can do that and only He can Elijah listened to the LORD. Anyone else telling him to come out he might have thought it was a trap

* He told him to go back the way he came. (v.15)

A number of year ago my daughter Theresa and I were in a car accident. We were nearly hit head on. It was not our fault. Some person ran a red light. When we got back to Long Island my aunt was here. She is a retired nurse and a pretty sharp gal. She said to Theresa, “Let’s go get some ice cream. Since I don’t know my way around Bay Shore you drive.” She told me she did that so Theresa would get behind the wheel right away. She was a new driver and if she didn’t she may never drive again. Elijah was told to go back the way he came. The way back...

* God gave him things to do.

This wasn’t busy work. People tell me after the loss of a loved one, “I have got to keep busy. Sometimes that is avoidance of grief. God had things with great purpose and meaning for the prophet There were going to be some changes. New kings were coming into power and a new prophet was on the horizon. Elijah was to anoint all of them. God was at work and He was using Elijah again

And He added this P.S. at the end in verse 18. Just to set the record straight Elijah- things were not as bad as you thought- I still have 7,000 who have not bowed to Baal. Things are not as bad you think. God has always had His people He is moving today. He is doing a work across the world. He is on His Throne

How we can lose perspective and not see all that God has provided for us when we are going through a crisis, the like of what Elijah was going through. We can get tot he point he got to. Maybe you are there this morning. Maybe you are on the way from Beersheba, about to leave the well of water and the groves and shade and head out into the desert of trying to live life by your own understanding. It is always dangerous to do that and it is especially dangerous when you are out of sorts like Elijah was!

The LORD is the Restorer of souls. He made us. He knows everything. He will bring you back to where He wants you to be.

Let Him do that today!

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The LORD’s Day
June 10, 2007

We Worship In Singing
We Worship In Prayer
We Worship In Hearing the Word of God
The LORD is the Restorer I Kings 19
*Tithes and Offerings can be placed in the box at the rear of the sanctuary*
Please join us for coffee and bagels downstairs if you are visiting today.

V
This Week
Bible Reading Psalm 113-115
Monday Men’s Prayer Meeting 6:30am in the church basement
Wednesday Bible Study 7:30pm 1312 Pine Acres Blvd.
Thursday Bible Study 10:30am at the church
Next Lord’s Day
Morning Prayer- 10am in the church basement
Morning Worship- 10:30am(Sunday School for Children)
Spanish Service- 4pm

In Your Prayers For All of God’s People
Remember the men serving in the armed forces: Bradley, Julia Bujold’s grandson with Special Forces in Afghanistan, home on leave right now, Ken Brown, Pastor’s friend’s son on his third tour of Iraq. Please pray for the whole family. Billy Knapp, Jr. in Iraq with the Marines (neighbor of the church and Pastor- Billy’s sister graduated from Good Shepherd) One of Billy’s friends (also from the Island) was killed three weeks ago in the fighting in Iraq. Please remember that family in prayer. Matthew Klaus, brother of Good Shepherd parent in Iraq as a firefighter for Haliburton... Pray for them and the others away from their families. Praise God for keeping David Louis, Jake Morgan and Tom Hindelang safe during their times in Iraq. Christine Frankland, Katharina’s daughter continuing to recover from surgery Pray for her as they deals with a complication that arose from the surgery. Kathy, Ziggy and Margot’s daughter-in-law, under the doctor’s care for fibromyalgia. Pray for Eloise Brooks in Sunrise Manor undergoing rehab. She is coming along well. She is in room 214. Remember Jean Louis as both he and Eloise are on dialysis. Pastor’s neighbor, John Mehler, in Southside Hospital and beginning dialysis as well. Grace Martin, Edie Raevis’ daughter, fibromyalgia. kidney stones and liver inflamation. Edie’s Sister, Grace, recovering from internal bleeding, now home. Reginald Mooney, friend of Terri and John Garry, with a tumor in his kidney. Please remember Good Shepherd Nursery School (students, families and our staff) as graduation takes place this Friday evening. Pastor’s friend Kim Richardson’s (who is recovering from a heart attack) daughter, Kelly, 30 years old, has breast cancer. Initial reports were not encouraging. She has an appointment tomorrow to discuss treatment. Please remember this whole family in prayer.
A number of nursery school families are going through difficult times. If you would like to sponsor a child presently at Good Shepherd, see Alice or call the school at 666-7503
If you would like to help with the Sunday Morning Bagel ministry see John or Terri Garry.


Notes on Our Time in the Word of God This Morning:
The LORD is the Restorer

I Kings 19

Pastor’s messages are now available online:
http://thesundaymorningmessage.blogspot.com/
Church e-mail: bayshorenaz@rock.com
Church Phone: 631-969-1730
1314 Pine Acres Boulevard, Bay Shore, Long Island, NY 11706-5436


Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all for the glory of God