Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there. (1 Kings 19:3)
ONE OCTOBER, SEVERAL DECADES AGO, my brother and I convinced our mother to take us to a local haunted house. Although we made it up the stairs to the second floor entrance, neither my brother nor I went inside. The two screaming teenage girls who crashed through the exit door and vaulted down the stairs altered our course. Fear pushed us to follow those girls down the stairs. And fear, kept us clinging to the security of our mother’s hand as we ran to the car.
Fear manifests itself in a variety of ways, and differs with age. While some fears are unfounded, other fears stem from past experiences, or future possibilities. Elijah wrestled with a common fear—the fear of death. He perceived Jezebel as a credible threat to his life. Although a confident leader in earlier days, Elijah allowed fear to steal his confidence in God’s power. Instead of tapping into his power source, he ran away.
Events—large or small—can evoke fear and temporarily cause us to forget that God’s power crushes all fears. Yet, even if we run in fear, like God’s chosen leader, Elijah, God knows where we are. Although we may momentarily forget about Him, He never forgets about us. Nor, does He forget about our needs—especially in the midst of fear.
When fear encapsulates you, seek safety in the Fathers arms.
Jill Printzenhoff is a science teacher and avid reader. She enjoys kayaking, fishing, bike riding, hiking, and vacationing with her husband and their two daughters.
© 2018 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
