Glorious Gentleness

**Editor’s note: Today’s reading discusses suicide*** If you ever want to see God’s power and glory right by His compassion and gentleness, read 1 Kings 17-19. Elijah experienced the full gamut of God’s character in these chapters. Elijah was a prophet (someone who spoke to God’s people on His behalf) in Israel at a time when Israel was praising the false god, Baal. In chapter 18, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to an epic showdown on a mountaintop to prove who was the true godBaal or the Lord. So 450 prophets of Baal built an altar, put a bull on it as an offering, and asked Baal to send down fire to burn up the offering. They danced, begged, and yelled for hours, but nothing happened. Then, Elijah built an altar to the Lord, put a bull on it, drenched it with water, and prayed a simple prayer. God immediately poured out fire from heaven, consuming not just the bull but also the wet wood and stone of the altar, definitively proving that the Lord, and He alone, is God. Then God sent down rain, ending a three-year drought Elijah had prophesied. The queen, who worshipped Baal, threatened to kill Elijah. He ran for his life. Exhausted and terrified, he prayed, but not for God to save him. He prayed for God to end his life (19:4). Elijah, who had just seen God’s amazing power at work in one of the most epic good vs. evil showdowns in history, felt suicidal. He felt alone, hopeless, and empty (19:4, 10). And here we see God’s tenderhearted compassion and gentleness. He gave Elijah food, water, and rest (19:5-6). God gave Elijah His very own presence, showing Elijah that, while He can and does reveal Himself in earth-shattering miracles, His presence is also a gentle whisper (19:11-12). When Elijah felt utterly alone, God showed him there were others who love God and follow Him (19:18), and He provided Elijah with a successor named Elisha (19:16). When Elijah felt suicidal, God did not berate him or tell him to pull himself up by his bootstraps and move on. Instead, He lovingly provided for Elijah’s needs, reminded Elijah of His gentle presence, and provided him with community. Sadly, suicide is prevalent in our world because sin has broken God’s good creation. If you struggle with suicidal thoughts, know that you are not alone. Jesus is right there with you in your hurt. He hurts with you, and through His life, death, and resurrection, He offers hope, even in situations that seem hopeless. Jesus feels all of your deepest hurts, and He came to heal those hurts. He cares for you, and He sees you with compassion, gentleness, and overwhelming love. If you are experiencing feelings of hopelessness or suicidal thoughts, tell a trusted adult immediately. One important way God brings healing to our hearts is through Christian counseling. The path to healing is long and sometimes painful, but Jesus will walk every step with you. Don’t try to walk this path alone. Find loving, supportive people to help you through this process. We aren’t supposed to endure our pain alonewe were designed for community. If you feel like you can’t reach out to others because you are a burden, know that this feeling is a lie from the pit of hell. The enemy wants to isolate us from community, but God’s truth is so much more powerful than the enemy’s lies. The truth is this: you are made in God’s glorious image, and for that reason you are beloved and incomparably valuable, and there is nothing you can do to change that. You are worth people’s time, attention, and careeven when the people around you don’t act like it. You are so precious to God that He sent Jesus to give you new life so that you could live in loving relationship with Him. Jesus did this by dying and raising again. You are an important part of His kingdom. Someday, Jesus will return to remove all hurt and death from our world permanently. Until then, we can rest, knowing that the God who sent down fire from heaven to show us His glory and power is the same God who lovingly sits beside us in our hurt, weeping with us and providing us with healing and help. Taylor Eising If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also talk with someone via web chat at suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat If your situation is potentially life-threatening, call 911 (or the emergency number for your area) or go to the local hospital emergency room right away. If you need someone to talk to but are not in need of immediate help, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate. How have you seen God’s gentleness in Scripture, in your own life, or in the lives of others? If you are feeling depressed or suicidal, usually something in your circumstances has to change to help you heal, like how God gave Elijah community and rEsther If you are feeling discouraged and burnt out, what are some circumstances in your life that might have to change? I lie in the dust; revive me by your word. Psalm 119:25 (NLT)

Read Verses:

1Kgs:19; Psalm 119:25