Under the Juniper Tree

      I used to wonder about Elijah, after Mt. Carmel. One of the most amazing stories to me in the Old Testament is when God poured down fire on Elijah's offering, to demonstrate to the children of Israel that yes indeed "The Lord, He is God" (1 Kings 18:39). I loved the part especially, when Elijah demonstrated his confidence in God so much that he would have 4 huge pitchers of water poured 3X on the offering, knowing that God would come through and light it all up. I imagined that despite all the prophets of Baal, chanting and cutting themselves around him all day, that the presence of God settled over Elijah in a quiet still way, sharpening his spirit and senses and bolstering his faith. The still small voice had to be ministering and provoking Elijah to confidently act. And the fire fell from heaven.
   
    So what happened to Elijah, that would cause him to run away to Mt. Horeb after this extraordinary display of Gods power? After all, God showed up the 800 prophets of Baal and King Ahab by pouring down fire from heaven, and God brought on the rain after a 3 year drought and famine, and caused Elijah to outrun the kings chariot on the way back to Jerusalem. Why did Elijah run off to Mt. Horeb immediately, I wonder? Was it Jezebel and her vow to Elijah (1 Kings 19:2) after she found out that all her prophets of Baal were killed? Why was this woman so scary to Elijah after all the glory God had displayed? This is what I want to talk about. Not one of Elijah's finer moments in his story, but the time he ran. Ran to a juniper bush and asked God that he may die.

     I find it very interesting, the nuances of the story. At Elijah's worst moment, in his fear, and perhaps weariness and only God knows what else--God sent an angel to feed Elijah. Then God let him sleep. Then God sent the angel to feed him again, and prepared Elijah for a long journey. 40 days to Horeb, to a cave in the mountain. What follows in Elijah's story is very mysterious and interesting as well, but I want to camp out, if you will, with Elijah under the juniper tree.

     All who serve God have experienced moments where it seemed like times were at their bleakest. When it seems like you are all alone. In Elijah's time, many were killed. As Elijah later said to God, twice: "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." (1 Kings 19:10). Perhaps there are those today, like Elijah, who are scared, and tired. Maybe you have run, like Elijah, as far as you can, and passed out exhausted under a juniper tree. How does the all-seeing God react to his weary prophet under the juniper tree, begging to die?

    God sends an angel to feed him, let him rest, and feed him again so that He can really minister to Elijah when He gets to Horeb.

     Since reading this, the first thing I took away from it was that God is kind. In Elijah's worst moment, God fed him and let him rest; and I have taken that to heart as a good recipe for showing love to my neighbors (Luke 10:37) when able. Food and rest, like medicine for the soul. Which brings me to my next Ebenezer stone. To appreciate the beauty of the stone, you have to understand its value amid circumstances, which requires humble honesty on our part. Yet God deserves praise! While we live in a very nice home, we are a family of six, and two of us go to college. We live very frugally and budget down to the last dollar, and its a budget light on entertainment and recreation. Not complaining; it just is what it is. We are very grateful for all that we have. However, it gets old, saying no to the children by going light most of the time.

     People who have no way of really knowing the behind-the-scenes struggles of a Pastor's family have been prompted by the Holy Spirit to shower us with love and affirmation this past week. Here is our modern day "food and rest" under the Juniper tree. This Sunday morning, as I was kissing my husband off at the door and he was leaving for church to finalize preparations before the service on Sunday, we noticed a pile in front of our door. A large pile, of bags and boxes of food, sitting on our doorstep. Groceries upon groceries. Someone had come to our home, and brought many lovely things: vegetables, pasta, juice, cans of beans, coffee, ground turkey, sausages, chicken, popcorn, snacks, Nutella, and frozen pizzas, just to name a few things. And not just any pizzas! Cheese free Pizza, that I can eat also! (I'm lactose intolerant). It wasn't just any food. It was lots of awesome food. Lots of food, that we can't buy quite often. I cried on my doorstep at 7:56am September15, 2013. Not an angel, but someone being the hands and feet of Christ, snuck to our house hours before we woke (judging by the semi-frozen chicken) and deposited what looked like +$100 worth of groceries on our doorstep.

"He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, "Arise, eat." 1 Kings 19:5.
    The scriptural implications swarm in my soul. My first reaction is repentance; repentance for being sad over circumstances that will burn up like grass one day. Grief, over my own pausing-when I should be praising- God moments, just because I don't always like the look of things, from my point of view. Sorrow, for doubting Him. Regret for forgetting all the good things He's done, and letting circumstances get the best of me. Just like Elijah, I think we all have our "Well, after all, I am only human" moments.

 There are many ways to react during the trials life throws at you. But God, in His kindness, sometimes sends an angel, or a beautiful person being the hands and feet of Christ, to say, "Arise, eat."

As we say in the South, "We still have a ways to go".