1 Kings 19:1-8 (NRSVUE)
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there.
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” He got up and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.
Devotion
When given my options of scripture to choose to reflect on, I was not anticipating one that started out with killing. Elijah killed prophets, was then threatened to be killed, and ran away. Talk about a wild couple of days! Personally, I’ve never had anything this intense happen, but this is a remarkable example of how God’s mercy changes our lives and gives us new spirits.
During my freshman year of college, I was in a bit of a toxic friend group with my suitemates, roommate, and friends down the hall. We would talk about each other behind our backs a lot, and not communicate problems to the person who upset our feelings. I would do this mostly about my roommate, and talk about little things that she’d do, or how I was feeling about her, but I wouldn’t tell her myself. For some reason, my friends started telling her what I was saying, even though they would talk about each other and no one would tell on the others. This resulted in a huge fight with my roommate, leading me to realize what I had been doing, and just how much I’d been matching the toxic behavior of my friends. However, through prayer and reflection, I know that through God’s mercy, I am more than that scared, freshman me, who questioned if any of her friendships would turn out OK. I know that through God’s mercy, I am able to grow and change, and find new friends.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for Your mercy that meets me every morning. Your grace is steady, even when I am not. Help me notice the little gifts today and the quiet blessings I forget to thank You for. Amen.
Jackie Hager