Enough Is Not Enough

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” (1Ki 19:4 AV)

 We’ve all been there.  Elijah was a great man of God who was used of God as an instrument through which God made Himself known to the rebellious of Israel.  Those miracles which he took part in were miracles of dramatic fashion.  Most of which was calling down fire from heaven.  This is one of those acts of God which is hard to forget.  The word of the LORD came to Elijah, instructing him to gather all the prophets of Baal under Jezebel the queen of Israel.  When gathered with the people of Israel, Elijah gave them the challenge.  Whichever prophet or prophets could successfully intercede his or their deity to send fire from heaven consuming a sacrifice would be the one and only true God.  Not to retell the entire event, but in the reading of it, one can tell Elijah was all in.  He was one-hundred ten percent into to event.  He mocked the prophets of Baal.  He soaked his offering in twelve barrels of water.  All this while being to only one on that mountain among thousands who worshiped the only true God.  If God does not send fire from heaven, he is a dead man.  We know the account.  God answered dramatically and the result was eight-hundred prophets of Baal were slain.  After such an event, now we see the prophet by the brook completely used up and we read his words, “It is enough.”  The prophet came to the end of his rope.  In his mind, he had done enough.  There was no bigger miracle in which to participate.  The results wouldn’t last.  And the queen wanted him dead.  He was spent.

There were several times I have felt like this.  Emotionally, spiritually, and physically spent.  I have shared how I had shot two deer in the middle of a wildlife area only to realize I had to drag them over five miles to our waiting truck.  There were those many church problems that taxed my strength and reserves.  One such situation landed me in the hospital and several months later, made me very ill.  Another caused so much stress it affected my thyroid, blood pressure, and even caused a bit of brain trauma.  Then there were the many times as a youth I was taxed to the limit.  Usually, those times involved Boy Scouts or my paper route.  One such event I recall frequently.  There was another that comes to mind.  We had these three streets that were laid on a hill.  Cherry street was one of them.  Hyde Park and Reed streets were the other two.  My sisters had these routes.  There was one particular day when my sister could not deliver her route.  That left it up to me.  The way the route was laid out, it meant at least one uphill trek.  This particular afternoon, it was snowing a pretty good clip.  This meant no bicycle.  Being dressed for the worst Alaskan winter possible (we lived in western NY) this only added more weight to what we were carrying.  This particular time I can remember looking up the hill knowing I had to crisscross this street all the way up.  About two-thirds of the way up, I had had enough.  I couldn’t go any further.  My other sister had to come and help me finish.  I never felt so drained.

The thing about those times is we tend to survive them.  The route got done.  When we have had enough, it is interesting that after the trial, there seems to be many more that follow.  After this event, Elijah has an encounter with God’s still small voice.  The LORD would ask Elijah to ordain three other men who would assist him in the remained years of ministry.  Elijah served a total of thirty-five years.  What is fascinating is he served with Elisha for twenty-three of those years.  In other words, Elijah had served twelve years, or one-third of his ministry before he said he had had enough.  Little did he know he would have to serve another twenty-three years before the LORD arranges a fiery chariot to sweep him home.  The point is this.  No one would dispute how we feel.  We feel as though we have had enough.  And that may be very accurate.  However, enough is truly not enough.  Not when the LORD can revive the heart of the burnt-out and used-up.  Not when the LORD can send help and encouragement.  We may think we know our limits, but the LORD knows them better.  Enough is never enough until the LORD says it is.