LORD, I have had enough ∙∙

LORD, I have had enough ∙∙

Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime, until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. – Isaiah 46:3-4

1 Kings 19:2-18

2 Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow, I have not killed you just as you killed them.”
3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.
4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”
6 He looked around, and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
8 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.

9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the LORD said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12 And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper.
13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and stood at the cave entrance. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied again, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

18 [The Father responds] Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

The Challenges of Severe Illness

A severe illness can overwhelm not only the patient but the entire family. It shakes routines, emotions, and expectations, leaving many feeling unprepared to navigate the road ahead. Hospice care exists to provide both the patient and their loved ones with the support they need.

Hospice care is designed to offer individualized, compassionate care to patients and their families in the comfort of their homes. Its services include symptom management, emotional support, spiritual guidance, and psychosocial intervention. However, it’s essential to understand that hospice is palliative, not curative. The focus is on enhancing the patient’s quality of life as they approach the end of their earthly journey.

Hospice care is intended for terminally ill patients, typically those with a prognosis of six months or less. According to recent statistics, the average number of days a patient lives after beginning hospice care is approximately 76.1 days. During that time, hospice provides comfort, dignity, and care at a vulnerable moment. Most hospice patients live less than six months after starting care. However, many patients are referred to hospice late in their illness, with a significant number passing away within just a week of admission.

Restoration Is Always Possible

Unlike physical death, spiritual, emotional, and relational challenges are not terminal. No matter how painful or damaged they feel, they can be repaired and restored. With proper guidance, encouragement, and a heart willing to face the challenges, healing can happen.

The psalmist reminds us of God’s restorative power in Psalm 147:3, “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” The Father’s grace has the power to rebuild what is broken and bring hope where it feels absent.

It is much like recovering from a severe accident or surgery. Initial intervention addresses the immediate pain, but the path to recovery requires time, effort, and often some form of “therapy.” This process may be slow, but for children of the King, it is wholly possible because of the Father’s supernatural work in repairing hearts and renewing spirits.

Elijah’s Story of Exhaustion and Renewal

It’s easy to feel like giving up when faced with overwhelming challenges. Many of us have faced moments when despair takes hold, and we wonder if things will ever improve. Even Elijah, one of God’s powerful prophets, experienced a season of hopelessness.

Many often give up hope and want to throw in the towel in our day and time. They wish they were dead. So it was with Elijah. After facing fierce opposition and relentless stress, Elijah became tired, hungry, fearful, and emotionally drained. Feeling utterly defeated, he literally ran away from his problems, retreating into solitude and despair.

But God did not leave him there.

First, God nurtured Elijah back to physical health. He sent an angel to provide him with food and water while encouraging him to rest (1 Kings 19:5-6). Then, the Father addressed Elijah’s spiritual and emotional exhaustion by speaking directly to him.

God didn’t condemn Elijah for his feelings of despair. Instead, He lovingly provided what Elijah needed to rise again and continue his mission.

A Call to Hope

The story of Elijah reminds us that our situations are never beyond God’s restorative reach. Even when we feel defeated or ready to give up, the Father calls us to press on. He mends the broken and renews the weary.

When life feels overwhelming, remember this truth: It is not over until God says it is over. He calls us out of the shadows of despair and invites us into His renewing presence.

REFLECT & PRAY

Are you in a season where life feels hopeless? Like Elijah, have you run away from the pressures of life, feeling like you’ve reached your breaking point? Remember, God has not abandoned you. His power to heal and restore is always present.

Father, how many times have I lost hope and wanted to turn away from the challenges You have allowed in my life? Strengthen me to face them, Lord. Lift me out of despair and give me the courage to run the race You have set for me. May I always remember that You are with me, providing the strength I need to finish well. Amen.

INSIGHT

Touched by an Angel

1 Kings 19:7-8 recounts a remarkable moment in Elijah’s life. An angel of the Lord touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” Strengthened by the food and drink provided, Elijah rose and gained the energy to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.

This passage serves as a poignant reminder of how the Father meets us in our lowest moments. He understands when we feel exhausted, broken, and overwhelmed. Elijah, who was hiding in despair, was not forgotten. Instead, God took care of him physically and spiritually, preparing him for what was to come.

The Gentle Whisper of God

At Mount Sinai, Elijah uniquely experienced God’s presence. Before God spoke to him, there was a display of raw, natural power—a wind that shattered rocks, a tumultuous earthquake, and a consuming fire. Yet, the Lord was not in any of these dramatic displays of His unlimited strength. Instead, Elijah heard in a gentle whisper, a sound soft, quiet, and calming (1 Kings 19:12). Elijah knew instantly. It was God (EBC).

This moment teaches us something profound about how God reveals Himself. We often expect dramatic signs or miraculous events to prove His presence. But God’s ways are not our ways. Instead of the spectacular, He speaks in stillness, touching hearts through His quiet power.

A Voice That Comforts and Calls

Elijah was broken, hiding in a cave, heartsick, and overwhelmed. The Father knew exactly what Elijah needed. Pause for a moment and imagine what Elijah heard. Perhaps, as Elijah leaned into the silence, he heard only his name. “Elijah.” It was more than a call. It was the gentle, loving reminder of who he was and Whose he was. He was being summoned from the doldrums of despair.

This “still, small voice” is translated from the Hebrew phrase qol demamah daq, meaning a “sound” or “voice” that is “calm, soft, soothing, and delicate.” Translations vary from “a gentle whisper” (NIV, NLT) to “a sound of sheer silence” (NRSV). But the essence remains the same: this voice was one of love and restoration.

The Father’s first words to Elijah, recorded in 1 Kings 19:13, were simple but piercing. “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah could have poured out his despair with, “I’m done. I can’t take anymore.” Instead, he recounted his struggles and fears. Even in his complaining, Elijah clung to faith but felt utterly alone.

Restoration Through Purpose

Though Elijah was off track, his situation wasn’t hopeless. God, in His gentle grace, didn’t scold or dismiss Elijah’s feelings. He did not entertain or comment on Elijah’s self-pity, self-justification, and rationalizations. But instead gave him a renewed purpose. The Father still had work for him to complete. He was gracious and gentle. He gave him new marching orders and specific instructions. He was to return and complete his mission. And most of all, he assured Elijah that he was not alone.

To move forward, Elijah needed to stop focusing on his despair and rediscover his role in God’s greater plan. God reminded him of his identity as someone who stood in the presence of the living God (1 Kings 17:1).

This redirection turned Elijah’s pity into purpose. It realigned his perspective, replacing his self-pity with the resolve to serve faithfully.

A Call to Run and Win

Elijah’s story reminds us that life will present moments of exhaustion, fear, and even despair. But in those times, God speaks to us—not always through grand miracles, but often through gentle whispers that carry His presence.

Like Elijah, we must listen for His voice, allow Him to realign us with His purposes, and run our race with determination. Remember Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!”

No matter how broken or discouraged you feel, it is never the end. God calls you out of the depths of despair, not with condemnation but with gentle reminders of who you are in Him.

Sometimes all that is needed is a gentle reminder of who we are and Whom we serve.

Elijah got it right, and his words echo down to us through the millennia. In 1 Kings 17:1, “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand.”

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© Dr. H 2025