Tuesday Brief
General Superintendent Max Edwards & Judy
April 7, 2026
Ar#cle submi-ed by Rev. Kevin McConnell, edited by Max Edwards
“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.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”” 1 Kings 19:3-5
We have all felt a bit like Elijah at one time or another … coming off a huge ministry high and all of the sudden that voice inside begins to recount all your shortcomings: “You are kind of a moron … remember when?” These messages are often spoken in a whisper, and when you least expect it. In this part of the narrative, Elijah and God had just embarrassed the false prophets of Baal in grand fashion. (1 Kings 18) Elijah was a good trash talker! I bet he played sports as a child. 😊 Let me draw your attention to a part of verse 19:4, where he cried out, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors!” What caused such deep despair and frustration? A great preacher (Rev. Lloyd Garrett) once said, “The greater the mountain, the bigger the valley!” So why is it that deep valleys seem to follow great victories? Allow me to offer lessons I’ve been learning: 1. Victories can drain our physical energy. Remember, Jesus needed to find time to rest after ministering to people. We find him asleep in a boat during a violent storm RIGHT AFTER a long day of ministry. When we are tired, we are vulnerable to attack. We must take time to re-energize. We must be protective of our health. Elijah was exhausted, and he rested under a broom bush. 2. Victories can drain us spiritually. Jesus often prayed in solitude as an example of what our prayer life ought to look like. He was fervent in prayer in the wilderness … in the early mornings … and in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus (God Himself) needed to recharge through prayer, because spiritual battles drain you. Elijah was spiritually drained. 3. Victories can cause emotional distress, even depression! The feeling of not being good enough. Though ALL the prophets of Baal were defeated, Elijah felt a failure - that he was all alone. Emotionally he was a mess. Victories can have that effect on us. The conversation in our head is often one sided, and is centered on our insecurities and shortcomings. But those are things God doesn’t rehearse to us. Did God mention Moses’s stuttering? No, Moses did. Did God disqualify David because he was a shepherd? Or Rahab because she a former prostitute? NO! Or Saul (Paul) who had murderered Christians? Again, no! Each of these were used by our gracious God. Their reputations were restored, because of God’s love and their willingness to repent and trust Him. He didn't remind them of their shortcomings, but loved them and built into their lives in spite of them, and He will do the same for you. Find places of occasional rest. Find someone to lean on – a friend who will be lovingly honest with you. Reach out for help, because ministry is difficult and we weren’t meant to do it alone. Jesus’ 12 disciples needed each other, and there were unique bonds between several of them. And do remember that God loves you in spite of your shortcomings.