Hi Everyone,
Sharing a devotional with you from 1 Kings 19:3-9
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 wilderness. He came to a broom bush, 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.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.
Out of fear Elijah ran far from where he was because he was afraid of what Queen Jezebel would do to him so he ran. Out of fear that something may happen to him he ran and at his strongest moment fear overcomes. Elijah is not unlike us when we are afraid we can run to and from the thing we are afraid from. This leads Elijah to feel as though he failed and is praying that he might die. He cries out to God because he has had enough because the work is hard and tiring and nothing has changed after the King and Queen experienced the power of God. Elijah thinks that it was because of him that he failed in this area. Where as God has many more things in store for Elijah that he hasn’t realized yet.
After being so brutally honest with God Elijah falls asleep and God sends an angel with food and drink to fill the physical needs of Elijah. God provided rest for Elijah under a broom bush so that he can rest his mind and body. God then provides Elijah with food and drink so that he can be strengthened. Isn’t it interesting that God knows what we need to be strengthened. Elijah was Spiritually tired, so God allowed him to rest for his soul and fill his body with what he needs to address his spiritual exhaustion. There are moments in our lives that we are physically tired that affect our spiritual lives as well. This passage shares with us that God knows how connected our spiritual lives are to our physical lives. Do you feel like Elijah at times, where we are spiritually tired and that leads to a physical tiredness. I find that when I am Spiritually tired it makes my body also quite tired. God said to Elijah eat drink and rest. if Elijah needed those things, don’t you think we need those too? May rest in Jesus for our spiritual needs and remember that we also need to be taking care of our physical needs as we are body, spirit, soul.
Blessings,
Esther