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I’m sure you’re familiar with the wonderful story of Elijah the Prophet, who faced Ahab and all the Baal worshipers on Mount Carmel, taunted them when their gods could not deliver them, and brought down fire from heaven upon them. Wow, what courage and faith that man had. Nothing could ever shake his confidence, right?
Wrong. No sooner had he called down fire from heaven than he was frightened to death by the threats of one woman, Jezebel. We read in 1 Kings 19:3 that “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.” He ran into the desert and tried to hide under a broom tree; he prayed that God would let him die. Elijah was trying to hide because he was afraid. And he tried to hide by quitting.
Maybe you are too. What fear is gripping your heart right now? Maybe it’s a health problem or a relationship problem. It may be a real fear or an imagined one. Many times we live in fear of what might be and allow our wrong thinking to cause us great fear.
God understands your fear and he has a hiding place for you. A place to restore you and calm you and give you the strength and courage you need to face your circumstances. But quitting is not the answer.
Elijah wanted to die rather than face Jezebel. But God came to him and gave him strength and comfort, right in the place where he was trying to hide. He sent ravens to feed Elijah so that he would be strengthened to go back out and do God’s work.
God has some ravens for you too. He has incredible ways to give you the strength you need, ways you’ve never thought of. But quitting is not the answer. Yes, I know you’re tired; yes, I know it looks like you can’t go another step. But remember that when we are weakest, then God is the strongest in us.
David, that courageous leader and brave warrior, the man who looked like he had it altogether, cried out to God “…hide me in the shadow of your wings,” (Psalm 17:8b), and “Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you” (Psalm 143:9).
Hide yourself in Jesus Christ. Remember, it’s okay to hide as long as you choose the right hiding place.