Day 10 - Where is your Broom Tree?

 1 Kings 19:5 (ESV) - ⁵ And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
(WHOLE CHAPTER)

Have you ever felt like you’ve endured something so difficult you have reached your limit? You’ve spent all your energy, put up with all the grief you can—you’re tired of holding off fear, fatigue, and failure.

The Old Testament prophet Elijah also reached the end of his rope. 1 Kings 18 describes Elijah’s stunning victory over the prophets of Baal. But almost immediately after this great win, he receives a death threat—fear takes over and he runs for his life. Fear’s grip on Elijah is in stark contrast not only to the miraculous way in which God had just intervened on behalf of Elijah, but also contrasts dramatically with the faith, courage, and obedience he portrayed in confronting evil. As Elijah succumbs to fear, he flees to the wilderness and sits under a broom tree, despondent, depressed, and spent, wishing for his life to end. Elijah reminds us that people of faith, courage, and obedience to God are not immune to fear and its debilitating effects.

Notice the broom tree: a provision from God and a place to replenish. Under the shade of this small shrub-like tree, Elijah cries out, “O Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers,” and then falls asleep. But this innocuous, scrubby tree becomes a place where Elijah’s despondency fades and his faith and life are renewed. As Elijah lay sleeping on a soft bed of broom leaves, God sends a messenger by way of an angel to speak (twice) firm but replenishing words: “arise and eat.” God then provides water and cake within Elijah’s reach, physical sustenance that enabled him to journey on to Horeb and hear from God again.

Fear can debilitate, paralyze, make one flee. Sadly, fear can also overshadow the reality of God’s deliverance and work in one’s life. But thankfully, fear was not the end of Elijah’s story, nor does fear have to be the end of anyone’s story. God provides places of replenishment—shade-giving broom trees. These are places where body, soul, and spirit are renewed by God’s provisions—his words and his sustenance.

PONDER: Where is your “broom tree?” Do you have a place of shade to rest, encounter God, and experience his replenishment? 

REFLECTION or DISCUSSION
Elijah encountered God in some really incredible ways. Before this passage, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal. Elijah called down fire from heaven, and God showed that he is real. Shortly after this amazing feat, Elijah forgot about God’s provision, and feared for his life. When we come to 1 Kings 12:5, Elijah is just about ready to give up, yet God has a plan to replenish him.

Read 1 Kings 19:3-8. What did God do for Elijah when he was afraid and ready to give up? When have you given up or felt like giving up? What might happen if we give up? Read Deuteronomy 31:6. How can this verse help us when we feel like giving up?