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b'**Editor\\u2019s note: Today\\u2019s reading discusses suicide***\\nIf you ever want to see God\\u2019s power and glory right by His compassion and gentleness, read 1 Kings 17-19. Elijah experienced the full gamut of God\\u2019s character in these chapters.\\nElijah was a prophet (someone who spoke to God\\u2019s people on His behalf) in Israel at a time when Israel was praising the false god, Baal. In chapter 18, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to an epic showdown on a mountaintop to prove who was the true god\\u2014Baal or the Lord. So 450 prophets of Baal built an altar, put a bull on it as an offering, and asked Baal to send down fire to burn up the offering. They danced, begged, and yelled for hours, but nothing happened. Then, Elijah built an altar to the Lord, put a bull on it, drenched it with water, and prayed a simple prayer. God immediately poured out fire from heaven, consuming not just the bull but also the wet wood and stone of the altar, definitively proving that the Lord, and He alone, is God. Then God sent down rain, ending a three-year drought Elijah had prophesied.\\nThe queen, who worshipped Baal, threatened to kill Elijah. He ran for his life. Exhausted and terrified, he prayed, but not for God to save him. He prayed for God to end his life (19:4).\\nElijah, who had just seen God\\u2019s amazing power at work in one of the most epic good vs. evil showdowns in history, felt suicidal. He felt alone, hopeless, and empty (19:4, 10). And here we see God\\u2019s tenderhearted compassion and gentleness. He gave Elijah food, water, and rest (19:5-6). God gave Elijah His very own presence, showing Elijah that, while He can and does reveal Himself in earth-shattering miracles, His presence is also a gentle whisper (19:11-12). When Elijah felt utterly alone, God showed him there were others who love God and follow Him (19:18), and He provided Elijah with a successor named Elisha (19:16).\\nWhen Elijah felt suicidal, God did not berate him or tell him to pull himself up by his bootstraps and move on. Instead, He lovingly provided for Elijah\\u2019s needs, reminded Elijah of His gentle presence, and provided him with community.\\nSadly, suicide is prevalent in our world because sin has broken God\\u2019s good creation. If you struggle with suicidal thoughts, know that you are not alone. Jesus is right there with you in your hurt. He hurts with you, and through His life, death, and resurrection, He offers hope, even in situations that seem hopeless. Jesus feels all of your deepest hurts, and He came to heal those hurts. He cares for you, and He sees you with compassion, gentleness, and overwhelming love.\\nIf you are experiencing feelings of hopelessness or suicidal thoughts, tell a trusted adult immediately. One important way God brings healing to our hearts is through Christian counseling. The path to healing is long and sometimes painful, but Jesus will walk every step with you. Don\\u2019t try to walk this path alone. Find loving, supportive people to help you through this process. We aren\\u2019t supposed to endure our pain alone\\u2014we were designed for community.\\nIf you feel like you can\\u2019t reach out to others because you are a burden, know that this feeling is a lie from the pit of hell. The enemy wants to isolate us from community, but God\\u2019s truth is so much more powerful than the enemy\\u2019s lies. The truth is this: you are made in God\\u2019s glorious image, and for that reason you are beloved and incomparably valuable, and there is nothing you can do to change that. You are worth people\\u2019s time, attention, and care\\u2014even when the people around you don\\u2019t act like it. You are so precious to God that He sent Jesus to give you new life so that you could live in loving relationship with Him. Jesus did this by dying and raising again. You are an important part of His kingdom.\\nSomeday, Jesus will return to remove all hurt and death from our wo'