There are many people, in spite of having a living relationship with Jesus, that feel as if their spiritual breath(life) has been smothered.  So it was with the prophet Elijah! The hand of the Lord was on Elijah as he spoke truth to Israel in order to turn their hearts back to God and to help them recover from the destructive patterns of the spirit of Baal. On Mt. Carmel, Elijah experienced mighty spiritual victory over the power and prophets of Baal. Yet, when the enemy Jezebel bullied Elijah with death threats after this victory, he was afraid. His intense fear told him that this was too much, that the struggle had gone on too long, and he was done with it. Then he took the path to depression by running away from the problem and pulling away from people. He lay under a juniper tree, feeling that he was alone and that no one understood him. He wanted to die. But God revealed to Elijah that it was not time for him to leave this earth, that he must finish his work and fulfill the purposes and plans God had for him. God helped him to get up and eat, and then He renewed their spiritual relationship, lifting Elijah up and giving him back hope so he could live out his life with meaning and purpose. Just as God helped Elijah, He will help s. We must remember that God’s love for us is bigger than our fears!  He has  good plans and purposes to work out in each of our futures!

“Then he was afraid and arose and went for his life and came to Beersheba of Judah and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a lone juniper tree and asked that he might die. He said, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life'”(1Kings 19:2).