"MOUNTAIN PEAKS AND VALLEYS" (From Mount Carmel to The Juniper Tree) (Pastor Tom Henry) ~ 2/10/26

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die...” (I Kings 19:4)

It is sometimes difficult to understand the state of dejection in which we might find good men, especially such as have been so mightily used of God as Elijah. This is largely due to the way in which we have been trained to think of our heroes. They always have the answers, and they are never afraid. We see Elijah on Mount Carmel fully living up to what we would expect from this mighty, fearless prophet of God. But we have trouble identifying with the Elijah that sits under a juniper tree saying, “It is enough, now, O LORD, take away my life.”

However, when we find ourselves under our own juniper tree it is encouraging to recall that this man who was so greatly used of God once sat there where we are. When our faith seems weak, and we are fainting beneath the load, it is helpful to remember that even faithful Abraham himself suffered a lapse in faith regarding the Child of promise; that Job failed in patience and questioned the wisdom of God; that bold Elijah appears to have failed in courage.

Elijah appears to have failed in courage, standing up to King Ahab, went after and facing down the prophet of Baal, he fled from that wicked woman, Jezebel. This is how most understand Elijah’s actions, when, after Jezebel’s threat, he “went for his life.” While it is no doubt true that he would avoid the humiliation of dying at the hands of that wicked woman, he was not afraid to die. One who is afraid to die does not call upon God to kill him. Elijah’s fainting had nothing to do with fear; it had everything to do with disappointment. It is, therefore, something that we can easily relate to. Elijah, I believe, was convinced that once God showed His hand in destroying the prophets of Baal; false religion would be put away, and there would be a revival of the true worship of God in Israel. When it became clear that there was no revival, the disappointment was more than he would bear.

As the disheartened prophet sat alone in the desert dejected, the Lord came to him and ministered to him both physically and spiritually. The Angel of the Lord then took His prophet back to Horeb, where it all began, and there revealed to him how the Spirit works in changing men’s hearts. When we become discouraged with our “failures” and feel like throwing in the towel, we must be reminded that God’s thoughts and ways are not as ours, and that “the battle is the Lords.” When we have done our duty, and the results are not what we hoped for, let us not count that we have failed. “Duties belong to us; outcomes belong to God.”

It is important to note that Elijah’s fainting came on the heels of an amazing “mountain top experience.” God had the day before, through the instrumentality of His prophet, displayed His mighty power in a spectacular victory over the prophets of Baal. Sometimes our deepest valleys follow hard after our most exhilarating victories. His grievous disappointment with the people was largely responsible for his despondency. He hoped that their loyalty to Jehovah had been now decided. He thus challenged them: “If Jehovah be God then follow Him, but if Baal then follow him.” He had staked everything on this one demonstration: “The God that answereth by fire, let Him be God.” The question had been forcefully answered, yet Jezebel ruled the court, and the court influenced the land. We experience something of Elijah’s disappointment, when our efforts and witness for the Lord do not have a positive effect on those we love.

Let us try not to grow weary in well-doing as Elijah did. He allows his disappointment to drive him to despair, and to question his usefulness. We must remember that it is God that we serve, and He alone decides the outcomes. As the Apostle Paul noted, we are servants of Christ, and as such, we are to be found faithful to Him and His Word. It matters little how men judge us, or even how we judge ourselves, because He that judges us is the Lord. (I Cor. 4:1-4)