The Pity Party

It’s easy enough to throw a pity party. The promotion you were up for went to someone else. Or worse, the company is downsizing or looking for “efficiencies,” resulting in job loss. The school bully decides to target your child. The car breaks down and will cost almost as much as it’s worth to fix. Sleep loss several nights in a row. There are a myriad of reasons for a pity party.

We understand Elijah’s pity party. He is hiding out for fear of death, threatened by King Ahab’s wife Jezebel (a worshipper of the god Baal and a foreigner). Elijah is hiding out, doubting his prophetic ministry because the king has turned away from God and is worshipping Baal.

But try as he might, Elijah cannot hide from God. No matter the location or the depth of his spiritual depression, God does not abandon Elijah. Instead, God is persistent, finds him, tweaks the plan, and gives Elijah a new mission, transforming his pity party.

God of the lost, you are more persistent than we are stubborn. When we have a pity party, speak your will into our lives. Restore our hope and give us a new mission. Amen. — FS