It is late. You drag your feet towards your bed. You are so tired you cannot fall asleep. You are desperate to get some rest, but your mind is still working overtime. It will not rest. You switched off the lights, but you could not switch off the lights in your brain. All kinds of matters are running through your mind. You need to get a job. You are so tired working in the church ministry which no one seems to appreciate. Your daughter is falling behind in her studies. You ran out of ideas how to help her. You have skipped gym for the past few weeks. And now, you cannot even get some sleep.
We experienced burnout every now and then. This is when we are worn out physically and / or mentally. We feel useless, perplexed, powerless, and empty. 1 Kings 19 offers a glimpse into this human experience of fear and exhaustion. It ends with a divine renewal.
Right off the heel from his triumph on Mount Carmel, Elijah faces an even greater threat – the queen asks for his head. Fearing for his life, Elijah takes flights into the wilderness. He feels defeated. He feels alone. He prays to God in despair. He wants to die. I think if you and I were there, we would have rebuked him. We will not hesitate to give him a sermon or two why he should dismiss that thought.
God shows compassion to his faithful servant. He sends an angel to provide food. He gives him rest. Under the juniper tree, Elijah is restored and is prepared for the next part of his journey. When he reaches Mount Horeb, he meets God in a surprising way. He experiences forceful wind, an earthquake, a fire. Yet, God is not in any of them. And then Elijah hears the still, small voice of God. God tells Elijah he is not alone.
God can meet us in a grand display of power should he chooses to do so. However, today’s reading tells us he can meet us in our lowest moments in a very gentle way. Perhaps he meets us more often in the quiet and the stillness. Let us trust that God’s gentle presence is enough to guide us and renew us when we are overwhelmed, when we feel we cannot take another step forward.
I invite you to say this prayer.
Father, thank you for meeting me in the quiet moments. Help me to listen to your voice when life feels overwhelming. Renew my strength and guide us according to your will. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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