FREEDOM FROM BITTERNESS (Parts 41-50)

WALKING IN FREEDOM - BITTERNESS

PART 41: GROUNDED (2/8/22)

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

“GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places” (Hab 3:17-19a).

In the spring semester of 2010, my son, Thomas, studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain. During an upcoming spring break, he scheduled a flight to London and then to Paris so he could explore these great cities and see the sights. When the time came though, he was unable to go.

The Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, had erupted. The volcano spewed both ash and glass particles into the atmosphere. [The eruption occurred beneath glacial ice. The ice chilled the lava quickly which caused it to fragment into small particles of glass (silica)].

The eruption was so explosive that it spewed into the jet stream. The volcano cloud spread over much of Europe, causing most flights to be cancelled. Ash and particles are dangerous to jet engines and can actually shut them down. In a two week period, over 100,000 flights were cancelled. Some northern European countries closed their air space completely. To his dismay, Thomas was grounded and he had to cancel his trip. (Source: Wikipedia)

God intends for us to soar to great heights in Him. He has places that He wants us to go in our lives – both literally and figuratively. When the cloud of bitterness settles over our lives, it hinders our creativity, our insight, and our relationships.

To see where God wants us to go, our eyes need to be opened and not be blinded. To understand the opportunities the God gives us, we need His creative and life giving insights without hindrance.

And to do the ministry that He ordains for us, we need joyful and unfettered relationships. Make no mistake: effective ministry is fundamentally based on loving relationship that is free of bitterness and of darkness.

When the fig tree does not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock is cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls in our lives, we tend to be bitter, depressed, and hopeless. Yet our God still wants to be a Source of joy in our lives. He desires to be our Strength and to give our feet the ability to tread on high places like a deer.

And Thomas? He couldn’t travel as planned but he didn’t stay home and pout. He went to Barcelona instead and had one of the best experiences of his study abroad semester.

Next post: Walking in freedom – bitterness. Example: Naomi.

WALKING IN FREEDOM – BITTERNESS

PART 42: BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: NAOMI (2/11/22)

So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, "Is this Naomi?"

She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?"

So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest (Ruth 1:19-22).  

“Do not call me Naomi (“Pleasant”); call me Mara (“Bitter”), for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”

Naomi had a difficult life. She is married and has two sons. But then a famine hits Bethlehem and Naomi’s husband moves the family to Moab to try to survive the famine.

But in Moab, Naomi’s husband dies. Naomi has to care for her two sons. The plight of a widow in those days was not easy. But she somehow manages.

Things begin to “look up.” Naomi’s two sons get married, so Naomi has some hope. But ten years later, the two sons die. So Naomi is in a foreign land, and she is desolate and destitute.

Naomi decides to return home to Bethlehem. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, surprisingly elects to go with her.

When Naomi returns, she is a different person. She is forlorn and empty – so much so that she announces a change of her identity. She no longer wants to be called “Pleasant,” but “Bitter.”

This point is a cross roads for Naomi. Will she choose to wallow in her bitterness? Will she allow it to overtake her in such a way that it ruins her life? Or will she trust God in the midst of her despair, and still seek to fulfill His purpose and plan for her life?

Because her God, Who is a good God, is a God of redemption.

Next post: Walking in freedom – Bitterness. Naomi’s character.

WALKING IN FREEDOM – BITTERNESS

PART 43: NAOMI’S CHARACTER (2/13/22)

She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?" (Ruth 1:20-21)

We will get to reasons why the Book of Ruth is in the Bible in the next post, but first we need to understand how much bitterness can become ingrained in a person’s character. With Naomi, she was given the name of Naomi – “Pleasant.” But after suffering personal tragedy after personal tragedy, she asked to be called Mara – “Bitter.”

When a person dwells or wallows in bitterness, that bitterness begins to define his or her character.

“The Lord has brought me back empty.”

Naomi is expressing desolation. Numbness has set in and, at this point, she probably feels very little. Internally, bitterness gnaws at a person until it doesn’t feel that much is left. The physical effects are like swallowing acid. A type of hardening occurs and internal symptoms can manifest - like indigestion, irritable bowel, ulcers, or even heart issues.

“Why call me Pleasant?”

People don’t like to be around a person who has a negative, cynical, and sarcastic tone. Bad vibes are not attractive which leads to increased rejection and isolation.

Broken relationships are a primary cause of bitterness. So barriers are put in place as a type of protection from further hurt. These barriers cause more rejection which connects to the original hurt. It is an unhealthy downward spiral.

“The LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

Bitterness on the human level often leads to bitterness against the Lord. We can surrender to Him as Lord and seek Him about what He is doing in the middle of personal tragedy. But that is extremely difficult – a tall ask. Often, the person assigns blame to the Lord and becomes bitter against Him.

Bitterness against the Lord leads to a rejection of relationship with Him. Here is the irony: We are made for Him and for Him alone. The Lord is the only One Who can heal our hurts and can fulfill us. No one else can. Nothing else can. Rejection of the Lord is the rejection of the Source of our life and of our fulfillment.

Definition of our character through bitterness leads to redefinition of our identity. Bitterness causes us to lose the identity which God gives to us in Him. We will talk more about this identity later when we discuss Elijah’s melt down.

But for now, in the story of Naomi, the question is whether Naomi will allow the bitterness which she felt to define her character. Will Naomi just give up on life and on the Lord? Will bitterness stymie her? Will Naomi just wither away and allow her bitterness to define her existence?

Will “Mara” become her identity – now and forever?

Next post: Walking in freedom – Bitterness. Why is the Book of Ruth in the Bible?

WALKING IN FREEDOM – BITTERNESS

PART 44: WHY IS THE BOOK OF RUTH IN THE BIBLE? (2/15/22)

Have you ever wondered why the Book of Ruth is in the Bible? Why is this little vignette about these two forlorn women accorded canonical status as a book in the holy writ?

I can think of a number of reasons.

·         The virtue of Ruth’s fidelity and allegiance to her mother-in-law is a touching tale.

·         And the story of a redeemer, Boaz, who provides for these widows, is a foreshadowing of a greater redemption to come.

·         Or maybe the book is written as an explanation of why a forbidden foreign woman – a daughter of idolatrous Moab, no less - sits squarely in the lineage of the great king, David.

But I think that the book of Ruth also has another purpose. Here we have this woman, Naomi, who lost her husband and her 2 sons. Her family perished. But Naomi doesn’t just mope in Moab. She returns home and doesn’t lose hope, which is demonstrated by her direction and guidance to her daughter-in-law, Ruth.

You would think that the end of the book would focus on its big names, Ruth and Boaz - Ruth, who is King David’s great-grandmother, and Boaz, the redeemer, who is King David’s great-grandfather. But that is not how the book ends. Instead, the book ends with the person who is perhaps the true hero of the story, Naomi. Here is the final account:

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to NAOMI, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."

Then NAOMI took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse.

And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to NAOMI." They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David (Ruth 4:13-17).

Who had a redeemer? Naomi.

Who received one worth more than the sons who were lost? Naomi.

Who became the nurse to the baby? Naomi.

“A son has been born to…Naomi.”

The book of Ruth is the story about a person who experienced great loss and felt its bitterness. But she also responded and acted in way that allowed God to restore her life, her heritage, and her purpose. Naomi did not allow bitterness to ruin her life or to destroy God’s blessing and purpose for her.

What did Naomi, who had asked people to call her Mara, feel as she nursed the little one that God had given to her in the little town of Bethlehem?

Next post: Walking in freedom – Bitterness. Simon and the green monster.

WALKING IN FREEDOM - BITTERNESS

PART 45: SIMON AND THE GREEN MONSTER (2/18/22)

“But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called Great." And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic…

“Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, "Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

“But Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.  Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity’” (Acts 8:9-11; 18-23).

Fame and popularity are fleeting, aren’t they? One moment you are the greatest thing on the planet, but then something better or more trendy comes along. Suddenly you are yesterday’s news and are relegated to “has been” status.

In a scene from the rockumentary mockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap, the lads have seen better days. The popularity of the band Spinal Tap is in decline and they are playing a local dive. In the hotel lobby, they run into an old musician acquaintance, Duke Fame. Duke’s manager (played by Howard Hesseman) informs them that Duke is playing at the “Enormodome” that evening – a venue with 20,000+ “sold out” seats. 

The two groups exchange pleasantries. When Duke and his manager are out of earshot though, the Spinal Tap members start calling Duke Fame unpleasant names. They comment on how Duke used to be an opening act for Spinal Tap and is, in fact, a “total no talent sod.”

Simon the magician was a big hit in Samaria. He occupied the pinnacle for “a long time” due to his prowess in the black arts. 

But when the gospel came to Samaria accompanied by the true power of God, Simon lost his #1 status. That must have been a hard blow for him. So he did what any reasonable performer would have done. He tried to buy a “piece of the action.”

Peter looked into Simon’s heart and he saw bitterness – the type of bitterness that comes from jealousy. Jealousy arises when we compare ourselves with another person or with another group. Comparison is a common trap. Instead of accepting the lot that God has given us, we become bitter because of the favor shown to another. Jealousy is as old as Cain when the unfavorable outcome of his offering led him to despise and to kill his brother, Abel. Jealousy is the green monster that can tear us up inside.

Jealousy leads to bitterness. Peter did not excuse Simon’s bitterness, nor did he comfort Simon about it. Peter urged Simon to seek forgiveness for the intent of his heart and to change it.

The fight against bitterness rarely means a change of our circumstance. The fight against bitterness almost always means a change of our heart. 

Next post: Walking in freedom – Bitterness. Elijah: The Meltdown.

[Surrender and Trust is a devotional that you can start at any time of the year. A link to it is in the Books tab of this website.]

WALKING IN FREEDOM – BITTERNESS

PART 46: ELIJAH – THE MELTDOWN

(2/20/22)

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow."

Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers” (1 Kgs 19:1-4)

1 Kings 19 is the chapter that I call “Elijah’s meltdown.” Elijah was the man that many consider to be the greatest prophet in the Old Testament. The power of his signs was tremendous, and the force of the Presence he brought struck terror in the heart of kings and false prophets alike.

But as 1 Kings 19 begins, Elijah is not terrible. In fact, Elijah is afraid and he is in desperate flight. Elijah flees from his homeland, Israel, to another kingdom, Judah. And from there, he travels further south to Mt. Horeb in Sinai – the mountain of God. Elijah flees as far south as he can go without swimming or getting into a boat.

We all can reach a point of crisis and despair. So being in crisis is not remarkable. What is remarkable is how Elijah got here.

We are introduced to Elijah in 1 Kings 17 when he prophesies a drought and it occurs. This guy has power to control the weather.

Then he goes to the land of Sidon where he, a widow, and her son are fed by a miracle. During that time, the son dies and Elijah raises him from the dead. That miracle is noteworthy because until that time there had been many miracles in scripture. But the raising of the widow’s son is the FIRST time in the Bible that anyone was raised from the dead. That is the power and spirit of Elijah.

Next, Elijah has a show down on Mt. Carmel with the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18. You know the story. The odds are stacked – 450 official false prophets to 1 unofficial true prophet. During the show down, Elijah issues a challenge to the prophets of Baal. After Baal does not answer the prayers of his prophets, God answers the prayer of Elijah and sends fire from heaven to consume the offering, the wood, the altar stones and the water – lock, stock and altar. That is the power and spirit of Elijah.

But now, immediately following the great victory on Mt. Carmel, despite all of the marvelous signs of healing, power, and awe, Elijah is fleeing and he is in severe distress. He is at the end of his tether - finished, washed up, kaput. He asks the Lord to die. Elijah is afraid, alone, despondent, and bitter.

How did Elijah come to this place?

Next post: Walking in freedom – Bitterness. Elijah’s complaint.

WALKING IN FREEDOM – BITTERNESS

PART 47: ELIJAH’S COMPLAINT (2/22/22)

There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away” (1 Kgs 19:9-10).

This is Elijah’s complaint, and it is a bitter one. It is so heartfelt that Elijah repeats it twice. “I alone am left.”

And yet, as much as Elijah may have believed it, this complaint is clearly not true. In the prior chapter, the righteous servant, Obadiah, had just told Elijah that Obadiah hid and protected 100 prophets of the Lord. Elijah’s statement has the exaggeration of a person who has become bitter and has been blinded to reality. Elijah has lost perception and has become a victim.

1. A victim is focused on himself and his unfulfilled hopes and dreams.

2. A victim is hurt and bitter. He feels pain. Blaming others for the hurt makes the victim feel better about himself even if the pain is self-inflicted. A victim is justified in his lack of trust of others and of God. He has many excuses.

3. A victim has lost hope. He is alone. Because others have done this to him, he is helpless to change.

When we reach the point that we are a victim, we have lost our way. So how did Elijah decline so rapidly?

I think Elijah had an expectation on Mt. Carmel that all of Israel would repent, from the top down. Surely Israel would see the awesome demonstration of the power and might of the true God and would repent. Elijah calls upon the people of Israel to do so: “Answer me, O Lord, answer me that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again” (1 Kgs 18:37).  But revival did not occur.

Elijah had an expectation that his demonstrative victory over the prophets of Baal would cause the king and queen to declare the Lord as the God of Israel. And Elijah would become the designated and official prophet of Israel. Instead, he received a sentence of death from the queen.

“God, this is not how the script is supposed to go.” Our unfulfilled expectations are a primary source of bitterness in our lives. It isn’t a matter of God not having a plan or not continuing His good work in our lives. It is that God did not do things OUR way in the manner that we expected Him to do.

A victim has lost faith in God’s plan for his life and, even worse, has lost trust in the goodness of the Lord. Bitterness and victim status go hand in hand and feed one another. Elijah was a man “subject to like passions as we are” (James 5:17).

So Elijah is now in the cave at Mt. Horeb – alone, depressed, and bitter. “What are you doing here, Elijah?” This is a defining moment in Elijah’s life.

Next post: Walking in freedom – bitterness. Elijah’s identity crisis.

WALKING IN FREEDOM – BITTERNESS

PART 48: ELIJAH’S IDENTITY CRISIS (2/25/22)

And (God) said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

He said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away" (1 Kgs 19:11-14).

“And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak…”

I have heard a number of sermons on this passage. The sermons concern spiritual guidance and hearing the “still, small voice” – the soft whisper instead of the storm and fury. Those sermons are good and they have a point.

But why did God deal with Elijah in this way? Why did God make Elijah experience the storm, the earthquake, and the fire, before God actually showed up in a whisper? God could have just spoken to Elijah outright.

Elijah’s complaint is a bitter one and it is self-absorbed. Elijah is focused on himself and he has lost his perspective.

By causing a windstorm, an earthquake, a fire, and a gentle blowing, God made Elijah use his prophetic gift to find Him. The one worldly possession that we know Elijah had when he encountered the Lord at Mt. Horeb is his cloak. Elijah wrapped his face in his cloak and stood at the entrance of the cave. The cloak was the sign of a prophetic office. As he discerned the Lord in the gentle blowing, Elijah again put on the garment of a prophet.

Bitterness causes us to lose our identity in the Lord. We each have gifts and functions in the Lord that define who we are in Him. Abram became “Abraham” – the father of many people. Simon became Peter (the “rock”). Philip became “Philip the evangelist.” Saul the persecutor became Paul the apostle – something that he announced at the beginning of almost every epistle that he wrote. When we fall into bitterness though, things become clouded and we lose our sense of who we are in God…our true self.

Even worse, when we lose our sense of identity, our destiny and purpose in the Lord, which is tied to our identity, is threatened. Bitterness can cause us to lose our way as we lose sight of who we are intended to be. As a result, we fail to fulfill our purpose – fail to reach the fullness in Him that He desires.

God is calling Elijah back to the core of who Elijah is. God is bringing Elijah back to his revealed gift and function as a prophet. Elijah puts on his cloak…the “prophetic mantle”…a sign of his identity, when God calls him back to his prophetic function and anointing.

So God brought Elijah back to his core. “Elijah, this is who you are in Me. Let’s bring your focus off of yourself and onto My plans and purposes for your life.”

Then, AFTER He reestablished Elijah’s identity, God restored Elijah’s future which we will explore next time.

Next post: Walking in freedom – Bitterness. Hope for Elijah’s future.

WALKING IN FREEDOM – BITTERNESS

PART 49: ELIJAH’S RESTORATION (2/27/22)

And the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death.

Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him" (1 Kgs 19:15-18).

After God restored Elijah’s identity as a prophet of God, God restored Elijah’s future. God gave Elijah a prophetic word with direction. “I’ve got this Elijah. I appoint kings and prophets. I am still in control and I still have a plan…even after you are gone. Elijah, here is what you do next.”

When Elijah acted on this word and called Elisha, he didn’t say a word. Elijah went and put his cloak – the symbol of the prophet - on the shoulders of Elisha. What did that mean for Elisha, who was plowing? It is a call to ministry and Elisha immediately responds to Elijah’s call. Elisha sacrifices the oxen with which he has been plowing, cooking them with the plowing implements. “Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him” (2 Kg. 19:21b).

Elisha committed, he burned his former livelihood, and he followed Elijah. It is a significant change in ministry for Elijah. Elijah no longer ministers alone in the power and light show. He has a ministry partner – a younger man that is being trained in ministry.

This change sets the pattern for Biblical training in ministry: An older minister working together with a younger minister – training him in all aspects of the ministry. What is the impact?

We know that Elijah called Elisha. But we don’t read that Elijah anointed Jehu or Hazael. In fact, Elisha is the one who sent a messenger who anointed Jehu (2 Kg. 9:1-16). Elisha is the one who prophesied to Hazael about his kingship (2 Kg. 8:8-15). But Elijah saw prophetically through the word of God to him that it was going to happen. Although Elijah did not personally anoint Jehu or Hazael, it was done in the power and spirit of Elijah that passed to Elisha.

Elisha would operate in a double portion of the spirit of Elijah and he too would raise a person from the dead. In fact, all three persons raised from the dead in the Old Testament were raised by the spirit and power of Elijah.

Finally, after restoring his hope, God corrects Elijah. “By the way, Elijah, there are 7000 other people in Israel that are faithful to Me. My remnant is still alive. It is not just about you.” First, God restored Elijah to his identity in God. Next, God restored Elijah’s future with a word of hope. Finally, He corrected him.

Here are 3 keys to overcoming bitterness when we experience disappointment in our lives and our expectations are dashed on the rocks.

1. God alone is my expectation. “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:25-26).

2. God is still sovereign in every circumstance. “God, you are in control. I am not.”

3. God is good all of the time. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His compassions never fail. They are new every morning, Great is your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22).

The joy of the Lord finds its purest expression in the middle of human distress.

Next post: Walking in freedom – bitterness. Faith, hope, and love.

WALKING IN FREEDOM – BITTERNESS

PART 50: FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE (3/1/22)

“For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease. Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put out branches like a young plant” (Job 14:7-9).

“There is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again…”

My friend was experiencing severe depression. It had been a gradual slide over the course of many months. Now, he was surrounded by darkness and feeling physical and mental pain.

My phone calls with my friend were long, some lasting over an hour. We spoke almost every day and sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. My friend did not feel loved. He could not read scripture because it didn’t mean anything to him. He questioned his salvation and whether he could be saved due to mistakes he had made in the past. I spent hours with him, encouraging him. I assured him of salvation and forgiveness. I told him he was loved. I quoted scripture after scripture to him. When my friend went to a mental health facility, I visited him.

Thankfully, my friend recovered. And after he recovered, he told me this: “You were a bridge of hope to me.”

Our life is a journey. During a healthy journey, we continuously grow in love. In fact, fullness of love is our destination – a realization of complete, overflowing, unconditional, and never ending love.

As we journey on the paths God has for us, faith is the fuel for our journey. Faith in God and in His love keep us moving forward. But there are “journey enders” along the way. These “journey enders” are pits of temptation, canyons of despair, torrents of failure, deserts of depression, quagmires of addiction, and swamps of grief.

When we come to a “journey ender,” we need a bridge. We need something that can get us through it. That bridge is hope. Hope is based on the idea that death comes from life, success comes from failure, and that exaltation comes from humiliation. Hope is based on the idea that seedlings sprout from fallen trees. Hope is fundamentally based on the goodness of God.

Bitterness is a “journey ender.” Hope is a key virtue that bitterness crushes. Loss of hope leads to loss of faith which leads to loss of love. When catastrophe strikes, we can be bitter or we can cling to hope. We need to cling to hope even if we can’t see it. That hope helps to preserve our faith and love.

So to address Elijah’s bitterness, God restored his hope. God gave Elijah a bridge across his crisis of desolation so that Elijah could continue on his journey to heaven – quite literally.

If I hear a person having a “pity party” or expressing a perception that seems wrong, my immediate inclination is to correct that person. But that is not the merciful way in which God dealt with Elijah. First, God reminded Elijah of who he was made to be and restored his hope. Then He corrected him.

(The story in this post is from Surrender and Trust – Book One, Section I, Week Eleven (Journey – Faith, Hope and Love), Day 3. For more information on this devotional, see the Books tab on this website.)