“I you don’t throw me up in the air, I’m just going to drown myself.”
This was my daughter’s response to my declaration that I was "in the pool to relax." For the next several minutes, we watched as she floated just above the water line with a look of serious concern etched on her face. When she realized that no one was jumping to her rescue, she began phase two and started yelling, “help me! Help me!”
But we didn’t help. And she wasn’t drowning.
It was an over-dramatization akin to comedian James Acaster’s Christmastime declaration that he was going to drown himself because he wasn’t getting the Spice Girls’ debut album, Spice. When his dad told him he would not be getting that particular album for Christmas, he walked across the pool, sunk down, and thought to himself, “I guess I’m gonna stay here until one of two things happens. Either I get the Spice Girls debut album Spice, or I’m gonna die.” (View the hilarious clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j42qLXhUHu4)
His parents didn’t help, either. And James didn’t drown.
Overreactions are commonplace, and not just for children. In the hit TV show, The Office, Andrew Bernard (played by Ed Helms) punches a hole in the drywall because he can’t find his phone. He immediately says, “That was an overreaction.”
We’ve all been there. Even the heroes of the faith found in the Bible.
In 1 Kings 18, Elijah confronts King Ahab and defeats the prophets of Baal. He also confronts the entire nation and asks them how long it will be before they pick a side. Elijah is so confident in his God, that he mocks the prophets of Baal in verse 27. In verse 40, Elijah, as a minister of God, metes out justice on these false prophets and they are put to death. All of them. Then, and only then, God sends the rain upon the land.
That’s exciting stuff. That’s miraculous. That’s God moving in a huge way. And Elijah not only gets a front row seat, he is the vehicle God uses! Elijah is on top of the mountain, literally and figuratively.
That is, until chapter 19 when Jezebel sends a threatening letter. Verse three sees Elijah fleeing for his life. And in verse four Elijah tells God that it is time to die. In essence, he is saying, “I am gonna stay here until one of two things happens. Either Jezebel is going to find me and kill me, or I'll just starve.”
This was a complete overreaction after everything that God had just accomplished. A dramatic scene, to be sure. My daughter would be proud.
What does God do to his servant that turned tail and ran as soon as he received a piece of hate mail?
He sends an angel to comfort him. He nourishes Elijah miraculously, and not just once. In fact, God lets Elijah rest. Elijah wanted God to just let him die, but God had other plans for Elijah. Maybe you find yourself in a similar situation. You are done. Life is too much. And maybe you are overreacting. Maybe you aren’t.
Life is busy and stressful and sometimes terrible. Would you rest in God today? Will you let Him nourish and strengthen your soul? Will you believe that He can and will give you exactly what you need both for right now, and for what lies ahead?
God knew the path Elijah would take, and He knew that Elijah would need rest and strengthening before moving on. God knows your path, too. Rest in Him today.
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