What happens when God gives us more than we can bear?
I know, it's taboo to even say that. I've heard that same line so many thousands of times- always from the ones that seem to have it all together. Like a pat on the head, a 'tisk tisk' shaking their heads and thinking to themselves that the person will eventually figure it out. Bless their hearts.
But what happens when it's us? When we are at the end of our rope and can't keep going, but can't see a way out of the dark either? I've always thought of this as being at the bottom of a pit- and believe me, my pit was deep & dark. I've been there.
First- let's clarify that line we get all the time. I Corinthians 10:13 says "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
Sounds a little different now, huh?
It dawned on me this morning, as I was getting ready for church, that this often (mis)quoted line could be directly linked to another for us. Philippians 4:13 tells us that "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Not to be a downer, but can I point out here that no where does it say this is going to be a cake walk? The fact is, life sucks sometimes. I know- another thing I'm not supposed to say. Right. But if we ignore this fact, we're just planning for failure in our faith. I believe God disciplines through tough times because he loves us. I believe he will allow things to happen at times that find us in the bottom of our pit, searching the dark with outstretched hands for the ladder that isn't there. We just don't learn the easy way and avoid the pit. Do others? I don't know- probably. I know that's not me. A lot of us go...and go....and go, relying on only ourselves, or maybe our token faith- the kind that is only deep enough to say 'bless you' when you sneeze. It's in the bottom of that pit when you think that you're completely alone, that you find God. Most of the time, he's the only one that will get down in the pit with you. In my case, he sent someone down with a ladder until I was ready to hear it straight from him.
So what does it look like when we're walking straight for that pit? It. Looks. Awesome.
Admit it- when things are good, we're on God's team! When they go bad? We blame God, we question him, or we assume he has left us. Elijah went through this whole emotional roller coaster too.
I Kings 18 shows Elijah at a high point. He has just called out the jerk king and totally kicked butt when God shot fire from heaven and incinerated his offering.
That. Rocks.
I'd love to win just one measly argument by God sending fire from the sky. I'd settle for spontaneous combustion. Not gonna happen. So here Elijah basically back hands 850 false prophets and a king that had ultimate power in the land.
Then the she-devil steps in.
This girl is bad. So bad that Elijah heads for the hills at a dead run. I know- what the heck? You just witnessed your champion blow the snot out of a drenched side of beef, and now you're freaking out? Nice. Real nice. But can we really say that ourselves? I hate being in the midst of whining about something not going my way, only to have some obnoxiously cheerful person point out the amazing things that have happened...just today... ugh.
Now take a look at what else happens in chapter 19. Elijah was so depressed (and self-obsessed) at the time, that he totally zoned out for not one but _two_ angelic visits!!! I hope I would pull my head out from under the pillow long enough to notice an angel dropping off Starbucks, but I'm pretty sure I missed a couple of those coffee runs.
Elijah continues on his downward spiral- we're talking full on teen angst. What? You never went to your cave and sulked? I seem to recall begging to paint my room dark colors and blaring angry music. You know I'm right... you're probably even smirking in memory, aren't you? So here he is, in the cave, alone.
Now God speaks up.
Was he neglecting Elijah? No. I don't think that's even remotely accurate. I think God doesn't need to beg for our attention. He waits patiently for us to recognize his voice in that dark pit. Don't ever think that God won't call you out either though. If you hired a contractor to paint your house, wouldn't you say something if he weren't doing it? One of our biggest mistakes is seeing our potential through our eyes, not our creator's eyes.
When God asks Elijah what he's doing in the cave, Elijah answers in a very human way, explaining what events led to his hideout. I just don't buy the idea that's what he was asking. God leads him outside and proceeds to put on a display of his might- tearing mountains apart, sending earthquakes, winds and fires.
Then, God turns back to Elijah and repeats his question. See, he wasn't in the wind, or any of the other flashy bits- he didn't need to be. He was the whisper after the chaos. I think he recognized what Elijah needed. When we are broken down, distraught, emotionally and physically exhausted, God finds us at our most raw. I think it's in every person to fear what it's going to be like finally facing God after running for so long. He comes to us in the bottom of that pit in a gentle whisper. He comes to soothe and heal, not shake a finger and slap us around.
_That_ is love.
_That_ is mercy.
_That_ is grace.
Now it clicks. God had just shown him his might and power. What did Elijah have to fear with a God like that caring for him- protecting him? Now..... what are you doing in a cave again?
How do you get out of your cave? First, know that he wasn't in the wind, just like he isn't in your divorce. I know, that sounds harsh. He didn't punish you with the childhood you had. But don't think for a second he can't pull you out of that pit. Second, start learning what you're worth to him. As unbelievable as it might sound- I know. It took me awhile to get my head wrapped around that too. You can't begin to understand the freaking awesome plans he has for you and start living up to your potential if you don't understand his love for you. Start there. But wherever you go with it, get moving. You've been in that cave long enough.
