ICS Daily Devotions
Born Again
1 Kings 19: 7-9a (NKJV) And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you”. So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place;
In times of trials and tribulations, our senses can become clouded and our minds affected by the challenges which are immediately at hand. We can lose our sensitivity to the presence of God and even begin to entertain thoughts that He has forsaken us or doesn’t care about our needs.
But He does care. Through the above Scripture, we see that God looked after Elijah throughout his headlong flight from Jezebel. God sent His angel to provide for his physical needs — food and much-needed sleep; and He did not order Elijah to snap out of his despair.
The fact is, we live in a harsh and exacting world where tolerance and patience can be lacking towards people who are down and out. We expect them to pull themselves together and move on with life. We do not have time to slow down to help those who are suffering because of our fast-paced life. We can easily forget to be gracious or forgiving. Everybody experiences highs and lows and no one voluntarily chooses misery. Snap out of it, we tell them. And surely, they would if they could, but when people are drowning in their circumstances, they need help. During such times, what we can do is to journey alongside them and offer any practical assistance we can, perhaps to prepare food for them, or to lend them an ear. We could be the earthly angel through whom God sends His provision.
After being strengthened, Elijah made the 40-day journey to Horeb, the mountain of God, where God revealed Himself to him through a gentle whisper. God drew him back to His heart, the original passion that caused Elijah to be zealous in his mission to bring the people back to their God. He went back to the fountainhead.
Like Elijah, let us remain close to the Source of all life and love. If we constantly dwell in remembrance of what He has done in our lives, always recounting the ways He has been there for us, we will realise that He has not abandoned us. And He never did, and never will. Let us dwell unfailingly on the Word of God – our spiritual daily bread, which feeds our faith and gives us spiritual strength.
God offers us restoration of spirit, soul and body, if we would but reach out and take it. And the image of the mythical phoenix that rises from the ashes to become bigger, brighter and better would be one that helps illustrate a believer’s walk. We are called to a life that can consistently become more and more abundant by the breath of the Holy Spirit.
From sermon: From Despair to a New Assignment
