Strength for the journey
Strength for the journey
1 kings 19:4-8.
Every man is on a sojourn regardless of the direction and the endpoint. Coming to Christ at Calvary sets us on the right course of our journey with the word of God as our compass and the provision of prayer as our chief source of strength, comfort, and repose. Journeying with our strength will bring discouragement, despondency, and fatigue. But we are encouraged, hopeful, and divinely enabled when we exchange mundane human strength for divine enablement. As we journey daily and in any phase of our life or ministry, the demand for strength must be constant, tuned to the circumstances we encounter, and invariably associated with our devotion to Christ in the secret place of prayer.
Elijah arrived at a phase in his life when he became exhausted by the overwhelming threats of the enemy, and he decided to call it quits. Let us closely consider this as we find ourselves also fiercely opposed by the various bombardments of the enemy- 1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. If we, like Elijah try to rely on our reasoning as a recourse (“he himself”), we will find frustration and vexation of spirit at the end of that decision. His strength only lasted for one day on the journey to the mount of God. Whereas, when he received divine strength, it lasted him for forty days and right to the endpoint without tiring. Psalms 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto you, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I (the source of strength that is greater than mine). We stand a sure chance to be victorious over the issues of our lives and destiny when we are in it with God. His empowerment is incomparable and His presence in whatever and wherever we find ourselves is what defines our ultimate result. The example of Christ on the road to Calvary stands out for our encouragement that the toughest of all sufferings becomes easy to bear when we are strengthened and enabled by the Holy Spirit. Moreover, all through the earthly ministry of Christ, He had moments of temptation that called for ease and acceptance of the glamorous allurements of the world, but He had enough strength to resist and keep His eyes on the price of the redemption of mankind- Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
