DISTRACTED WITH SELF-PITY. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE
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 desert. He came to a broom tree, 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."
1 Kings 19:3-4

OBSERVATION
Elijah was a prophet with an amazing gift for miracles. Through him, God was able to resurrect the dead, bring fire down from heaven to consume the sacrifice and defeat the priests of Baal. Elijah prayed for drought, and prayed for rain. He became a supernatural runner. The list is very impressive. Yet, he is afraid of one woman. And his fear for her was deep. He ran away from her and fell in a pit of depression and self-pity. What an irony! The man that can bring so many amazing miracles in the lives of others cannot have faith for a miracle in his own life. And yet, God's mercy and grace covered him for the rest of his ministry.

APPLICATION
How often do I share the same tendencies that Elijah had? We see God's power doing great things through us. We believe that God can move mountains and we tell people to keep believing. However, our own lives lack the trust and faithfulness that God deserves. In a similar way Elijah struggled, we think we are the only ones suffering, we think that we have the worse deal in our hands, and we compare ourselves to others. We think is not fair. We are tired even when we have enough rest. We lost our sense of purpose and we become victims of our own circumstances. These symptoms are a clear sign that something is missing. Maybe it's time to seek the Lord and to hear His voice in a whisper saying, "What are you doing here?"

We are not here to simply pass by. We are here to make a difference and to advance the kingdom of God. We cannot afford being distracted with self-pity. We cannot let our mind embrace depression. We must continue strong trusting that he same God that does amazing miracles around us is the same God that does miracles within us.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for loving me and for being patient with me, especially when I become a victim of my own circumstances. Please help me to seek your face regularly, to hear your whisper reaffirming my calling, reminding me of my assignment, providing fresh vision, and doing miracles in my own life. I love you Lord. Amen!