“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, LORD’, he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’” (1 Kings 19:3-4 NIV)

Tired, hungry and afraid 

In the above passage we read how Elijah was afraid and felt sorry for himself and he complained to God about his situation. He had just received a death threat from Jezebel and ran away in fear. This fearful self-pity reaction was from the same man who had just called fire down from heaven and destroyed all Jezebel’s false prophets. It seems very odd that he was now fearfully complaining about a threat from the queen. And, besides, if he really wanted to die, he could have let Jezebel carry out her threat. Simply put, he was just feeling sorry for himself. Something else was going on in Elijah’s life to cause him to behave out of his normal character. We do learn some answers as we read more of the story: “Then he lay down under the bush 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 some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.” (1 Kings 19:5-6 NIV). So, there you have it, Elijah was hungry, tired and weak. He just needed food and rest to get his strength back up. He did do the right thing by talking to God about how he felt. And God heard his cry and helped him. 

“So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.” (1 Kings 19:8 NLT)

And, remember this…

“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait I say on the Lord!” (Psalms 27:14)

“The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” (Hab. 3:19)

“He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever. He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever. He gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.” (Psalms 136:23-26 NLT)

Therefore…

“Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.” (Psalm 102:1-2 NIV)

“The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalms 27:1)

Quote:

“As Christians we should never feel sorry for ourselves. The moment we do so, we lose our energy, we lose the will to fight and the will to live, and are paralyzed.” -  Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matt. 24:7-8)

Pestilence: A contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating. 

The Bible has a lot to say about diseases and pestilence coming upon people. History records many instances of them. They come and go. In the above passage pestilence is listed among the signs of the end times. There are instances in Scripture where pestilence came upon people as a result of their sin and disobedience. Sometimes it is as an attack from the enemy called the snare of the fowler.

What to do when it happens

“Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.” (Psalm 91:3)

“‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’” (2 Chron. 20:9)

Therefore…

“Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.” (Hosea 6:1 ESV)

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy…” (Psalms 103:2-4 ESV)

“Saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” (Exo. 15:26 ESV)

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 ESV)

“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” (Mal. 4:2) 

Quote:

 “How sweet the name of Jesus sounds, in a believer's ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.” - John Newton

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phil. 4:6)

Cast it upon the Lord who will sustain you

“Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22 NASB) 

Commit it to the Lord and trust in Him to do what is needed

“Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.” (Psalm 37:5 NASB)

Do not worry about the future

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt. 6:34 NIV)

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matt. 6:27

Therefore…

”Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT)

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?  (Matt. 6:25-26 NLT)

Quotes:

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” - Corrie Ten Boom

“I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them have never happened.” - Mark Twain

“This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” (Gal. 3:2 NASB)

Hear the Word of Christ and gain faith

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17 NASB)

Hear the Word and hold it fast

“As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15 ESV)

Hear the Word and mix it with faith to profit from it

“…the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” (Heb. 4:2 ESV)

Therefore…

“Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more.” (Mark 4:24 NLT)

Quote:

“I prayed for Faith, and thought that some day Faith would come down and strike me like lightning. But Faith did not seem to come. One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, 'Now Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God'. I had closed my Bible, and prayed for Faith. I now opened my Bible, and began to study, and Faith has been growing ever since.” - Dwight L. Moody

“The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exo. 33:14 NIV)

Rest: cessation from labor, refreshment.

Come to Jesus for rest

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30 ESV)

A rest for believers only

“For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world.” (Heb. 4:3 NLT)

Therefore…

“Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.” (Heb. 4:1)

“Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.” (Psalm. 116:7)

Quote:

“Our rest lies in looking to the Lord, not to ourselves.” - Watchman Nee

“Never stop praying.” (1 Thess. 5:17 NLT)

Always pray and don’t give up

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1 NIV)

“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” (Rom. 12:12 NLT)

 Come to God who answers 

“You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.” (Psalm 65:2 NIV)

The Holy Spirit will help you pray

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” (Rom. 8:26 NLT)

Pray that your joy will be complete 

“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:24 NIV)

Therefore…

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phil. 4:6)

“As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me…” (Psalm 55:16-17 NIV)

Quote:

“Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all.” – D. L. Moody

“He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.” (Rom. 4:21 NLT)

Promise: a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified; a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act. 

God has given us great and precious promises 

“And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” (2 Peter 1:4 NLT)

No matter how many promises of God there are, they are all “yes” through Him

“For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.” (2 Cor. 2:20 NASB)

God’s promises never fail

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Num. 23:19 ESV)

“Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” (Josh. 21:45)

“Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.” (Josh. 23:14)

Anything is possible if a person believes what Jesus has said about it

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” (Mark 8:23 NLT)

Therefore…

“…and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.” (Rom. 4:21)

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23)

“This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” (Psalm 119:50

Quote:

“Knowing that God is faithful, it really helps me to not be captivated by worry. But knowing that He will do what He has said, He will cause it to happen, whatever He has promised, and then it causes me to be less involved in worrying about a situation.” - Josh McDowell

“Godly people find life; evil people find death.” (Prov. 11:19 NLT)

Life: (Greek) Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. 

Jesus came that you may have an  abundant life

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10 NASB)

Through Jesus, you will live, even after dying

“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” (John 11:25 NLT)

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” (John 14:6)

“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Col. 3:4)

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:12 NIV)

Therefore…

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24 NIV)

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matt. 6:25 NIV)

Quote:

“Believing the right things about Jesus isn't enough. You're not adopted as God's child until you confess and turn away from your wrongdoing and receive the freely offered gift of forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus purchased with his death on the cross. Until you do that, you'll always be on the outside looking in.” - Lee Strobel

“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” (Psalm 23:3 ESV)

Path: a route, course, or track along which something moves; a course of action, conduct, or procedure. 

God leads you to upright paths 

“I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths.” (Prov. 4:11)

Ask God to teach you His paths

“Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.” (Psalm 25:4)

• The path of life

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11 ESV)

• The path of justice

“I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,” (Prov. 8:20 NIV)

• The path of righteousness 

“So you will walk in the way of good men And keep to the paths of the righteous.” (Prov. 2:20)

God’s Word will light your path 

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 ESV)

Therefore…

“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:6 ESV)

“Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” (Jer. 6:16)

Quote:

“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.