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Prophet Loses Faith and Panics
77
Elijah’s Complete Despondency
Forgetting God, Elijah ran on and on, until he found himself in
a dreary wasteland, alone. Bone weary, he sat down to rest under
a juniper tree and requested that he might die: “It is enough! Now,
Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” His spirit
was crushed by bitter disappointment, and he wanted never again to
look on a human face. At last, exhausted, he fell asleep.
Times of keen disappointment and discouragement come to ev-
eryone—days when it is hard to believe that God is still kind, days
when troubles follow us till death seems preferable to life. Then
many lose their hold on God and become slaves of doubt and un-
belief. At such times, if we could unravel the meaning of God’s
leadings, we would see angels seeking to save us from ourselves,
working to plant our feet on a firm foundation; and new faith, new
life, would spring into being.
In his trouble and darkness faithful Job declared:
“May the day perish on which I was born.”
“Oh, that I might have my request.”
“My soul chooses ... death. ... I loathe my life.”
Job 3:3; 6:8; 7:15, 16
But though he was weary of life, Job was not allowed to die. To him
was given the message of hope:
“You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters
that have passed away.
And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness
will be like the morning.”
Job 11:16, 17, NRSV
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From the depths of despair Job rose to the heights of trust in
God. Triumphantly he declared:
“For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;