Then Elijah walked for a whole day into the desert. He sat down under a bush and asked to die. (1 Kings 19:4)

Hope Lost

When Elijah asked to die it was not a loss of faith. Instead it was a loss of hope from a host of pressing challenges. Mark Manson defines hope as a need for something to look forward to, and for Elijah the only thing ahead was further disappointment. Before asking God for death he had done daunting tasks; he had stopped the rain, killed the prophets of Baal, and caused the rains to fall again. He wanted Israel’s king to repent and leave idolatry, but the end result was an angry queen and running away to save his life.

In short despite his works, Elijah’s hopes were dashed. There was nothing to look forward to, and all ahead seemed bleak. The horizon had no sun, and would welcome him with darkness. So, with a bleak outlook he asked the Lord to put him out of his misery.

“I have had enough, Lord,” he prayed. “Let me die. I am no better than my ancestors.”

Many of us who live today know Elijah’s feelings all too well, and some of us have even prayed a dismal prayer like his. Though we are not prophets we have worked with great aspirations, and the end result was a disappointment that darkened our horizon.

In 2016 my wife and I faced a dark disappointment, where a child that we were expecting was suddenly lost to us. Our joy from looking forward was quickly exchanged for grief, and our bright outlook was replaced by one that was dark and clouded by pain. Like Elijah our hopes had been dashed leaving us discouraged, and in the wake of a present suffering we felt like giving up. Nevertheless, a need remained for something to look forward to, and this was the heart of the prophet’s prayer while asking God for death.

Hope Restored

Though Elijah’s petition was gloomy, it was really a cry for hope. It was asking for something better to look forward to than troubles that clouded his vision. For him that something better was the freedom and rest of heaven, but God reached out and answered his prayer with the common and ordinary of earth.

Elijah saw near his head a loaf baked over coals and a jar of water, so he ate and drank. Then he went back to sleep. Later the Lord’s angel came to him a second time. The angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat. If you don’t, the journey will be too hard for you.

One Jewish proverb says that worries are best washed down with soup, and I believe that the same is true when hopes are dashed and lost. What restores our hope is the simple gifts that we encounter every day; things that the prophet Elijah received from the angel in the wilderness. His cries were answered with food, drink, and someone’s presence, and this is what awaited him as he slept after receiving them. These common simple things were something to look forward to, and they grounded him, replenished his faith, and strengthened him to carry on.

Hope For Advent

Each year we begin the Advent season by lighting a candle for hope, and seeking relief from troubles in our lives and the world around us. We look forward to something or someone that is better, and that is Christ Whose birth we remember and Whose return we await with joy. Though the wonders of heaven surrounded His birth in Bethlehem, He came to us through the common and ordinary of earth. In fact, He continues to come to us in this way, for we experience Him the most in simple things that we encounter each day.

We experience Jesus through food like the bread we buy or make, and this is the point of the bread we break while celebrating Communion. We experience Jesus through places like our homes, schools, and offices, and this is the point of the sanctuaries we build for worship services. Lastly we experience Him through relationships and community, and this is the point of our gatherings and times of connection and fellowship.

Indeed we meet the Lord through the common and ordinary. Simple things that we look forward to and encounter each day. And during the Advent season we enjoy them with intention, and watch as God restores our hope and gives us a brighter vision. A vision of a world restored by grace and love from heaven, and an outlook that replenishes our faith and strengthens us to carry on.

The images featured in this post are by Scotty J. Williams.