1 Kings 19: God's Provision in Fearful Times

"Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there." 1 Kings 19:3

What do you do in times of great fear? Do you panic? Do you yell? Do you crumble? Or perhaps you do with the prophet Elijah did: you run. Yet even when we do panic, yell, crumble, or run in great times of fear, God promises to provide. He did for Elijah, and he will do for us, that is, if we seek his glory in all things.

In the last chapter of 1 Kings, we saw how Elijah proved to the people of Israel how Yahweh was greater than Israel's false gods. Elijah ended up killing all of the false prophets of the false gods, but this did not make Ahab's (the king's) wife happy. Ahab's wife's name was Jezebel [please never name your kid that], and she threatened to take Elijah's life because of what he had done. In fear, Elijah runs to escape this death threat.

Yet amidst his running, the Lord provides. Elijah is so afraid and tired that he even asks for the Lord to take his life, yet an angel brings him food that lasts him forty days. Furthermore, Elijah was not only physically weak but also spiritually and emotionally weak. After the Lord provided for his physical needs, we find Elijah destitute in a cave sorrowful for the people of Israel who have rejected the Lord God. Yet amidst this distress, God calls out to Elijah, "What are you doing here?" Although we do not know exactly what the Lord meant by this statement, my guess is that the Lord was gently confronting him in his fears. In other words, the Lord was asking, "What are you doing hiding in a cave? Do you not know that my sovereign hand is upon this circumstance? Do you not know that I have it all under control? Why are you hiding?" Elijah answers the Lord by stating that he is jealous for God's glory, and how the Israelites have turned from God to their own sinful ways. In other words, Elijah is hiding because he has no hope in Israel's turning to their God, which was his very mission. Yet, God replies with this by showing Elijah his own power by causing a great earthquake, fire, and voice. Furthermore, God continues to show Elijah his great plan amidst all of this chaos, and how he will destroy all of the evil Israelites yet preserve the 7,000 who have not bowed to false gods. Even amidst Elijah's deepest fears, the Lord had a sovereign plan for his own glory.

Oof! That was a hefty story, but here's the point: amidst our fears, God has a plan. Furthermore, amidst our fears, God will provide for us if we are focused on his glory. God is a jealous God who is hungry for his own glory, and we ought to be hungry for God's glory as well. Elijah certainly was, and therefore he received all he needed from the Lord amidst his fears. Likewise, since the Lord is jealous for his own glory, he will grant to us all that we need to glorify him, even amidst our deepest fears.

So, what do we do with this wacky story? Two things:

Firstly, realize that God has a sovereign, providential plan amidst your greatest fears. He will provide for you if you trust in him and if you are seeking fully his glory and not your own.

Secondly, be jealous for God's glory. God does not have you in the situation you are in to glorify yourself, but to glorify himself. If you are seeking your own glory, it will not go well with you. Yet if you seek God's glory, all will go well, because you will be fulfilling the purpose for which you were created.