Author: Rob Collins

A Broom Tree Kind of Day

If you have ever been discouraged to the point of wanting to give up…

If you have ever been intimidated by what others have said…

If you have ever been disappointed by the way things turned out…

If you have ever wanted everyone to just leave you alone…

If you have ever wondered, “What’s the use?”

Or if you have ever felt like you were the only one going through what you were going through…

This message is for you.

Elijah was a man of God—a prophet who knew the voice of God, obeyed God, and had experienced God’s plans, purpose, power, and provision firsthand.

He had been provided for at the brook and fed by ravens.

He had watched God provide through a widow and miraculously multiply her flour and oil.

He had prayed over her dead son and watched God restore his life.

He had stood boldly before Ahab, confronted the prophets of Baal, watched fire fall from heaven, and prayed until the rain returned after three and a half years of drought.

Elijah knew what it was like to see God do the impossible.

But now he was running from Jezebel.

The same man who stood fearlessly before 450 prophets of Baal was now afraid of the threat of one woman.

The same man who had just watched fire fall from heaven was now sitting underneath a broom tree asking God to let him die.

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die…” —1 Kings 19:4

Elijah was having a broom tree kind of day.

Have you ever had one?

A day when yesterday’s victories don’t seem strong enough to overcome today’s discouragement.

A day when you know God has been faithful, but you’re just tired.

A day when you’ve poured into everyone else and feel like you have nothing left to pour.

A day when one negative voice seems louder than a hundred reminders of God’s faithfulness.

A day when you don’t necessarily want to quit forever—you just don’t want to keep doing this anymore.

That’s a broom tree kind of day.

But here is what I love about the story:

God did not abandon Elijah underneath the broom tree.

God didn’t lecture him.

God didn’t condemn him.

God met him where he was.

Elijah slept, and an angel touched him and said, “Arise and eat.”

God gave him rest. God gave him provision. God gave him strength. And eventually, God gave him direction.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do when you’re exhausted is rest long enough to hear God again.

And don’t miss this:

It’s always the Lord’s provision.

The angel may have delivered it, but God was the source.

God knew what Elijah needed before Elijah knew what was coming next.

The broom tree wasn’t Elijah’s destination.

It was a stopping place.

His discouragement didn’t cancel his calling.

His exhaustion didn’t erase his purpose.

His fear didn’t negate his faith.

And one bad day didn’t determine the rest of his life.

Eventually Elijah came to Horeb, where God spoke to him—not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in a still, small voice.

There is something powerful about a whisper.

A whisper is intimate—you have to be close to hear it.

Maybe God wasn’t trying to become louder than everything happening around Elijah.

Maybe He was drawing Elijah closer.

Then God gave Elijah direction and reminded him of something he desperately needed to know: He wasn’t alone.

Elijah said, “I alone am left.”

But God told him there were still seven thousand who had not bowed to Baal.

What Elijah felt was real—but what Elijah felt was not necessarily true.

Never allow how you feel in a moment to define what is true about your life.

Sometimes you simply need to be reminded:

1. You’re doing better than you think you are. Your present struggle does not erase your past victories.

2. You have more going for you than you realize. God may be doing things around you, for you, and through you that you cannot see from where you are sitting.

3. God’s promises will come to pass. What you fear does not have the final word. God does.

And that may be one of the greatest lessons from Elijah’s broom tree:

What Elijah feared never happened.

Jezebel threatened his life, but her threat never became Elijah’s destiny.

Jezebel died.

Elijah lived.

What Elijah feared never came to pass—but what God said did.

And there was something else Elijah couldn’t see from underneath that broom tree: Elisha.

If Elijah had given up underneath the broom tree, there would have been no Elisha to receive the mantle and no double portion.

Elijah could only see the broom tree.

God could see the double portion.

Elijah still had an assignment to complete. There was still someone to anoint. Someone to mentor.

Someone who would pick up the mantle and carry the work forward.

Elijah couldn’t quit because his assignment wasn’t finished. And sometimes you don’t realize what is connected to your decision to keep going.

Someone may be waiting on the other side of your obedience.

Someone may need what God has placed inside of you.

Someone may eventually carry what God first entrusted to you.

So don’t make a permanent decision underneath a temporary broom tree.

When you’re under the broom tree, it’s easy to ask, “Why?” Why did this happen? Why did things turn out this way? Why am I going through this?

But often, there is more to the story than what we can see.

We see the moment; God sees the whole story. We see what happened; God sees what it’s producing. We see the disappointment; God sees the purpose. We see what was lost; God sees what’s ahead. We see the threat; God sees the triumph. We see the broom tree; God sees the mantle. We see where we are; God sees where we’re going.

And I love how Elijah’s story ultimately turned out:

Elijah was taken up, and Jezebel was taken out. The threat didn’t win. Fear didn’t win. Discouragement didn’t win. The broom tree didn’t win…God was faithful!

So remember:

You may feel alone—but you are not alone.

You may feel forgotten—but God has not forgotten you.

You may feel finished—but God may simply be preparing you for what’s next.

You may feel like giving up—but your broom tree may actually become the place where God restores your strength, renews your perspective, and reminds you that your story isn’t over.

So, if today happens to be a broom tree kind of day, rest if you need to. Eat something. Get quiet. Allow God to minister to you. But don’t build a house under the broom tree. You can stop there. You can rest there. You can recover there. But you can’t stay there!

Because there is still more ahead of you. There is still purpose in you. There are still people God will use you to impact. Your assignment may not be finished. Keep going.

And the God who sustained you at the brook, provided for you through the widow, answered you on the mountain, and sent the rain…

is still God underneath the broom tree.

The same God who met Elijah there will meet you there. The broom tree is not the end of your story.

What God has promised will come to pass!

“Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ.” —2 Corinthians 2:14

What you fear does not have the final word. God does. What Elijah fear never happened, but what God said did!

What Can We Learn From This Passage?

1. Circumstances may cause you to deviate, but if you don’t quit, God can use the detour to draw you closer to Him.

2. We all have “broom tree” kind of days. Days when we’re tired, discouraged, overwhelmed, and simply need to stop and recover.

3. If you are truly seeking God, He will not leave you alone. Even under the broom tree, God knows where you are and knows exactly what you need.

4. Sometimes God will let you wrestle with what you want until you’re ready to receive what you need. Elijah thought he wanted to die—but what he really needed was rest, nourishment, perspective, and a renewed sense of purpose.

5. What you have the courage to confront, God will give you the strength to conquer. You may have to face it, but you don’t have to face it alone—God is with you!

The broom tree wasn’t the end of Elijah’s story—it was a place of recovery on the way to what was next.

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

— Colossians 3:13

Trials, disappointments, and even offenses can become opportunities for God to refine our faith and strengthen us. 1 Peter 1:7 reminds us that genuine faith is tested and purified like gold in a fire.

Don’t allow an offense to become an obstacle in your moving forward.

Don’t allow what someone did—or what happened to you—to keep you from experiencing new beginnings, healthy relationships, new experiences, new opportunities, and new endeavors.

You may not be able to control the offense, but you can choose whether you carry it with you.

Forgive. Heal. Learn. Grow. Move forward.

And most importantly, don’t allow yesterday’s offense to steal today’s joy, tomorrow’s hope, or your peace along the way.

“Burden or Blessing—You Choose!

“As leaders, parents, and spouses sometimes we have to know what others don’t know, do what others won’t do, and see what others can’t see.” This can at times become a “silent burden”.

I use the word “burden” loosely. However, it starts with the same syllable as “blessing” and I think it’s a good word picture to describe what I am trying to illustrate.  

Again, I’m talking about “Blessing or Burden You Choose!”

You have probably heard me say this many times— “don’t allow a blessing to become a burden.” However, for this not to happen, you must be intentional and continually mindful—you also must become more grateful!

You’ve all heard the phrase “The honeymoon wore off.” This phrase describes the excitement of something new beginning to fade, and familiarity taking its place. That’s when gratitude must become a choice. 

When this happens you must become intentional about recognizing the value of what you have before familiarity causes you to overlook it. 

Gratitude teaches us to see ordinary blessings with fresh eyes and to appreciate again what we may have stopped noticing.

That’s when “gratitude has to become intentional.” When this happens you move from the feeling of gratitude to the practice of gratitude.

And “When the honeymoon wears off, you must become intentional about being grateful.” Being grateful about what you already have.

That’s because it is so easy to take the everyday things for granted! The blessings that surround us every day become commonplace and we forget to be grateful for them. 

The following could be substituted for many areas of our lives, but these scenarios below are simple, yet practical areas that help illustrate my point.

Think about this . . .

We complain about traffic (traffic circles) because we have a car.

We complain about laundry because we have clothes.

We complain about doing the dishes because we ate.

We complain about cutting the grass because we have property.

We complain about packing because we get to travel.

We complain about taxes because we earned.

We complain about our job because we have one.

We complain about a full inbox because people need us and we have problems that only we can solve.

We complain about noise because we have a family and friends.

We complain about exercise because our bodies move.

We complain about wrinkles because we have lived.

We complain about gray hair because we have made it this far.

We complain about change because we are growing.

It is all a matter of perspective, and changing your perspective can help produce gratefulness and gratefulness can in turn cause you to see things differently! 

What if instead of complaining about traffic (traffic circles)—we were grateful that we have a car.

What if instead of complaining about laundry—we were grateful we have clothes.

What if instead of complaining about doing the dishes—we were grateful because we ate.

What if instead of complaining about cutting the grass—we were grateful because we have property.

What if instead of complaining about packing—we were grateful because we get to travel.

What if instead of complaining about taxes—we were grateful because we have earned.

What if instead of complaining about our job—we were grateful because we have one.

What if instead of complaining about a full inbox—we were grateful because people need us and we have problems to solve.

What if instead of complaining about noise—we were grateful because we have a family and friends.

What if instead of complaining about exercise—we were grateful because our bodies move.

What if instead of complaining about wrinkles—we were grateful because we have lived.

What if instead of complaining about gray hair—we were grateful because we have made it this far.

What if instead of complaining about change—we were grateful because we are growing.

Psalm 103:2—“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

David is essentially telling himself, Don’t forget what God has done. Gratitude requires intentional remembrance.

1 Thessalonians 5:18—“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 

This takes gratitude beyond a feeling and into a practice. “Giving thanks and being grateful” is an intentional action.

Being grateful is a matter of perspective—changing your perspective will help produce gratefulness and gratefulness will in time cause you to see things differently!

Blessing or a Burden—You Choose!