Burnout at the Broom Tree

Meeting God in Exhaustion

Elijah’s collapse shows that spiritual fatigue is not failure. God starts with sleep and food. If God met you first with rest and bread, not tasks, how would that change your definition of “faithful”?

I know I can’t be the only one. I sit here with a to-do list that feels exponentially longer than the days have hours. Every second it seems 5 thoughts enter my brain all at the same time vying for my attention. I’m in a constant state of refocusing, asking myself what my priorities are, wondering why I procrastinated, considering if I should hire someone to do all the things, and oh, wait, what was I just working on?!

It always strikes me as interesting that the American calendar has placed us in a moment of quiet reflection and intentional thanksgiving that fills our hearts with gratitude for all the things by which we are blessed. And the very next day, hustling to fill our lives with…more. If we had enough to be grateful for in November, why do so many of us feel pressured to fill in non-existent voids in December? And not to mention, a new year opening before us brings new senses of hope, anticipation, possibly dread or uncertainty. These ebbs and flows in our time, our tasks, our emotions, and our goals undoubtedly can lead to feelings of burnout and fatigue.

If we had enough to be grateful for in November, why do so many of us feel pressured to fill in non-existent voids in December?

In 1 Kings 19 (specifically verses 1-8), we read a story of the great prophet Elijah encountering God in a moment of exhaustion. Verse 2 tells us that the evil queen, Jezebel, had threatened Elijah’s life in response to some incredible spiritual exploits. (I encourage you to read 1 Kings 18 for historical context. Read it! It is good!) And what we see in the subsequent verses of this section of 1 Kings 19 highlight a unique reality of God’s provision in our lives. Allow me to share a few observations: 

1 Elijah reacted emotionally. God responded practically.

1 Kings 19:3a NLT “Elijah was afraid and fled for his life.”

Elijah’s fearful response seems so misplaced here. In 1 Kings 18, we read of Elijah’s incredible exploits for the Lord. (Slaying 450 prophets of Baal after calling fire down from Heaven and ending a 3 1/2 year drought to summarize a few.) And yet, this man who has witnessed God’s power in ways many of us have only read about, is suddenly afraid of this woman’s blanketed threat. 

With a bit of judgment if I were to be honest, I often find myself questioning Elijah’s reaction. Did he forget God would send fire from Heaven if he but asked? That God would send rain in a season of drought if Elijah prayed? Wasn’t Elijah the one who raised a widow’s son (1 Kings 17)? And he was afraid of Jezebel’s threat?

But maybe, like us, Elijah had prayed many prayers that hadn’t been answered the way he expected. Maybe, like us, Elijah also experienced moments of doubt. And maybe, like us, Elijah couldn’t see past the present valley of the shadow of death. The Bible doesn’t tell us that. But this moment of humanity displayed in Scripture makes me a lot more like Elijah, and makes God’s response that much more beautiful.

In verses 5-8, we see that God responded to Elijah’s fear with rest and food. Elijah fled to a place, and God allowed him to rest. And after resting, God literally provided a warm, cooked meal. And then more rest and then more food. Incredible! How often do we expect that, when we come to God in fear, that He would respond by giving us courage? Or we come to God with doubt, we expect Him to respond by writing a message in the clouds? Or we come to God with loneliness, and we expect Him to respond by sending us a new best friend? God, in His infinite wisdom, saw Elijah’s fear and didn’t eliminate the threat (though He could have). He didn’t bolster Elijah’s courage (though He could have). He didn’t give Elijah a pep talk (or admonish him for his fear!). God provided food and rest.

2. God responded to Elijah’s need, not Elijah’s request.

1 Kings 19:4b NLT “He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die.”

When I think about this interaction between Elijah and God, I cannot help but be reminded of my early motherhood days and caring for my toddlers. I’m sure many of you can relate. Do you remember those moments when something minor would happen to your toddler, and they would throw a tantrum big enough to win an Oscar? And your mom instincts would kick in? You knew that what that sweet child needed was a nap! It was like a miracle: cranky baby goes to bed and after some good rest, a loving child would emerge. (At least sometimes, lol!)

In this portion of Scripture, we see Elijah respond, possibly a bit dramatically, to his situation. And God’s response was not to grant Elijah his request (and I imagine Elijah was ultimately grateful for that), but to meet Elijah’s need. This is God’s omniscience on full display - that God would look past what Elijah thought he needed/wanted, and met the true source of his need. 

Friend, can I encourage you: when God doesn’t respond to your prayer the way you ask, don’t be discouraged! Recognize that God knows what you need more than you do. Trust Him! Don’t mistake His silence for rejection. His timing is perfect. Trust Him! Instead of feeling like He hasn’t come through because it didn’t go like you thought it would (you didn’t die, friend!), look for ways to see His faithfulness at work and recognize that He is responding to your need, not your request. That is what a good father does. (And as a mother, you did that, too! When those cranky toddlers asked for chocolate chip cookies, you knew a nap was the answer!)

I find it so interesting that twice in this small portion of Scripture, the Bible specifically mentions a broom tree. What an interesting detail to include! The type of broom tree mentioned here is a desert shrub - typically a small, solitary tree that offers many practical uses - shade, fuel, food (in dire situations, the roots of a broom tree can be consumed for survival). I think the broom tree is a significant symbol of this story. In the wilderness, in an arid and desolate situation, provision can be found. God will meet us where we are with exactly what we need at the moment we most need it.

So maybe my attempt to relate to Elijah’s situation at the introduction was a bit superficial. Let me be honest: my fatigue is not because I’ve called fire down from Heaven to consume a sacrifice to undoubtedly prove God’s existence. Nonetheless, it doesn’t change the reality of God’s faithfulness. I certainly bear more responsibility in my feelings of being stretched a bit too thin. But because I can rest on God’s consistency, I can know He will respond, not necessarily as I want, but as I need. And isn’t that a greater picture of what the caring faithfulness from our loving Father actually is? I encourage you, in whatever place of need you find yourself, allow your perspective to see God’s provision on display - not by looking for the answer to the question you’ve been asking, but because you see God’s meeting needs in your life. 

Heavenly Father, I lift up to you today your beloved children - specifically those experiencing seasons of fatigue and exhaustion. I am grateful that your response to those experiences isn’t disappointment or frustration, but care and kindness. I pray that whatever they are facing, they would be reminded of your faithfulness - that it may not come clothed in great Spiritual responses, but may be completely practical and necessary. You constantly provide us with opportunities to exercise our trust. So as we continue through this journey, would trust that your provision is always good and always right and always exactly what we need. And for that, we are grateful. May we be guided by your hand, even into arid and desolate places, because we know your perfect provision will meet us there. Amen!