LS-28-Strength For The Journey
Strength For The Journey Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee.--1 Kings 19:7.
They are the words of the angel of the Lord to a very despondent and harassed man. Elijah, after his victory over the prophets of Baal, fled into the wilderness to escape the vengeance of Jezebel. There, under a juniper bush, he wished and prayed to die. In response to his prayer, Divine provision was made for his need, and obedient to the word of the angel, he received food and went in the strength of that food forty days.
There come to us all, at times, those crises in life when we are weighted down with trials too heavy to be borne. The spirit of heaviness broods over us, the sorrows of life crush us, the problems that confront us confuse us, or temptations threaten to overwhelm us. Then comes the gracious invitation: Come ye apart and rest awhile. Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee. And when the Master invites, He provides, and in the strength of the Divine sustenance we go on our way. But there are occasions when our strength is near to weakness, and our spiritual resources are depleted, and we do not know it. Just as our physical frame may be near the point of collapse through overstrain, while we are all unconscious of it, so our spiritual nature may be sapped of its vitality while we are unaware of our loss. It happens sometimes that the material blessings which bring us comfort and satisfaction, and make the way of life very pleasant, may endanger our spiritual health. Ease may be enervating, pleasure may tend to selfishness, and the very conditions of life that should be the means of increasing blessing may become the subtle influences that weaken the spiritual life. Frequently the invitation comes: Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee, and we dare not neglect this gracious call. So we have come, and there is food here to strengthen us for all the journey of the week. He who spreads the Table and extends the invitation Is Himself the feast. It is Christ whom we need to receive into our hearts. He is the living Christ. All power in heaven and in earth is His. Prom that source of Divine energy we may constantly draw supplies for our need. In our business, in our homes, in social intercourse, in times of solitude, and in the path of duty and service we need Him. Rise and eat! "Feed on Him in thy heart with thanksgiving," and strength for the way will be given.