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Day 3 Recover

A great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19.11–12

Of all the characters in the Bible, the one with whom I identify least is Elijah. There were times in his life when he was responsible for jaw-dropping acts of witness on behalf of God, opposing evil with great courage. Frankly, heroism is not my style. When people are doing desperately brave things I am the one who offers to bring everyone a nice cup of tea and a biscuit to keep their spirits up. I’m not so much Superman as Supperman!

However, having triumphed for God, Elijah was also susceptible to depression. I understand how people who have experienced high points in their spiritual life can then feel very low when they return to the jog-trot of life. But, to be honest, I’m not very prone to getting depressed either. I seem to be able to enjoy life without highs and lows.

Nine centuries before Jesus, Elijah had a ghastly run-in with the priests of a pagan religion in which God proved himself to be a God who answers prayer – fire blazed, rain torrented and blood flowed. Elijah emerged as God’s champion, but that made him enemies in high places, notably Jezebel the queen. She made a blood-chilling threat to have him assassinated. Understandably Elijah was terrified. God’s solution was something so straightforward that it comes as a surprise to us. He recommended, ‘Run for it!’ So Elijah did!

As Christians, we do not have to face every situation like a cartoon superhero. Obviously there are some circumstances in which we need to take a stand against something that is wrong. But there are other occasions when it is fine for a Christian to admit defeat and make an exit – times when stress has reduced our capacity to be useful for God, or times when so much has been asked of us that it has taken a physical or emotional toll. God doesn’t call us to be successful in everything we do; he calls us to be obedient in everything we do.

That is why it is so important to detox your spiritual life. And although Elijah could never have understood the concept, it is curious to notice the length of time it took for God to repair his weary body and soul – 40 days!

What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labour under the sun? All their days their work is pain and grief; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. People can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him who can eat or find enjoyment? Ecclesiastes 2.22–25

After the triumph, the terror and the running away, Elijah was left exhausted and alone. The Bible’s account tells us: ‘He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said.’ Did God diagnose that Elijah had a deep spiritual problem that required the casting out of evil and hours of prayer? No, he did not! He provided just what your grandmother would recommend: rest, food and company. The story goes on: ‘He lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and then went back to sleep again.’ Never overlook the value of the ordinary gifts of God in a rush to find a spiritual response to your need. That is why the detox you have begun needs to address some basic issues of nutrition and health as part of examining your relationship with God.

It is true that the voice of God, having once fully penetrated the heart, becomes strong as a tempest and louder than thunder; but before reaching the heart it is as weak as a light breath which scarcely agitates the air. It shrinks from noise, and is silent amid agitation. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, 1491–1556

But Elijah needed something extra in order to recover from the sense of failure that had enveloped him. He felt he had not lived up to the expectations his ancestors had of him, and that he did not deserve what had happened: ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.’

God’s response was to take Elijah back to the roots of where his trust and faith began. Mount Horeb was the place where God had revealed himself to the Hebrew people and started a loving relationship with them. It was there that Elijah rediscovered the presence of God. It didn’t come in the way he expected. Nothing like it! There was a storm, but God wasn’t there. Nine hundred years later there would be a storm on Lake Galilee which Jesus calmed, and God would speak mightily through that. But not this time! There was an earthquake, but God wasn’t there. Nine hundred years later there would be an earthquake at the time of Jesus’ resurrection, and God would speak triumphantly through that. But not this time! There was fire, but God wasn’t there. Nine hundred years later the Holy Spirit would come in tongues of fire, and God would speak through that in a way which changed the world for all time. But not this time!

Instead there was a gentle whisper! That is the sort of touch of God on our lives that we might completely miss. But it is certainly true that one of the things we can do when we feel exhausted spiritually is to retrace our steps to the point where God first began to be real in our lives. Where did God first take us by surprise? During this detox it is unlikely that he will make himself known in dramatic ways. But a quiet whisper – unspectacular, ordinary – might turn out to be just what we need.

Watch, dear Lord, with those who wake or watch or weep tonight, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. O Lord Christ, rest your weary ones. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354–430

That is the ordinary way God comes alongside us. It is not sensational, but it is genuine, and it can start a recovery in our lives. As a Christian you are not alone. A still, small voice! You are not alone, you are not alone, you are not alone!

Detox: Look in your diary at your plans for the fortnight ahead. When will be the highly-charged days? And, within those days, which will be the most stressful hours? Reserve time after those events in which to recover, with nourishing food, rest and the kind of company you enjoy. Plan your recovery and write it in your diary now.

Lord God, I don’t need anything dramatic; I just need something reassuring. Whisper to me that I am not alone. Amen.