The journey is too great for thee !

1 Kings 19:7, “ And the ^[d]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.” 

Elijah was a zealous servant of God. He took a lone stand for Him. He proclaimed famine at His Word, without considering his own survival. He offered a sacrifice to the living God, in presence of 450 prophets of Baal, where all witnessed the fire from heaven. But then, there came a time when he fled into wilderness. The words of Jezebel threatened his life and he went a day’s journey into the wilderness. How much ever a person might have been fruitful in the Lord’s ministry, we need to realize that we are mere dust. And hence, as apostle Paul wrote, “if you feel that you are standing, take heed, lest you fall’. Joshua needed to hear from the Lord again and again, ‘be strong’, and so did many men and women of God.

Each person has areas of weak points for none is perfect. The devil, like the roaring lion, moves around to attack on these points to instill fear & discouragement into one’s heart. Elijah was strong and steadfast till he heard the threatening words of Jezebel. But the Lord did not abandon him. He pursued him into the wilderness under the juniper tree, where he lay asleep. The angel touched him and said, ‘Arise and eat’. Elijah had the baked cake and a cruse of water and lied down again. You and me would have left him, saying, “we have done our duty…now rest is his choice’. Our Lord’s mercy is stronger than His judgements. The angel again came the 2^nd time and touched him, saying, “Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.” Elijah was seeing his end before him, while the Lord was seeing a ‘great journey’ ahead of him.

The Lord was steering Elijah’s mind and heart to the journey kept before him. It had got stuck and entangled at the words of Jezebel. Today many are stuck and entangled in the snares kept by the evil one, thus unable to see the great journey ahead. But the Lord commands us to ‘arise’.

1. Arise and eat: The snare of Jezebel’s words had weakened Elijah to the extent, that he had lost his appetite, was weak and lied down under the juniper tree. Just as the loss of appetite is a sign of sickness, so is the loss of appetite for the Word of God, a sign of spiritual sickness. Note here that the angel touched him and instructed him. And it was Elijah who chose to respond. The Lord pursues us into the wilderness of our lives, touches us again and again, instructing us to read and meditate His Words. And it’s our sole responsibility to respond. In both verses of 6 and 8 of 1 Kings 19, Elijah responded immediately. Delayed responses can delay much awaited deliverances. He did arise and he did eat. The Word of the Lord has power to set us free from any snare of the evil one.
2. Arise and pray: 22:46, “^Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” Peter had claimed that he was willing to follow Jesus to prison and death (Lk.22:33). And now he was sleeping for he was much weary physically. But He commanded him to ‘rise and pray’, inspite of the weariness he faced and about the awaiting snare of temptation. But sadly, Peter could not respond. He continued to sleep. Later, he did fall in the temptation. Though Lord’s mercy restored him, he had to go through a painful process. Prayers and more of prayers has power to enable us to resist the snares of temptation. Peter was not wrong in claiming to follow Jesus to prison and death, for he did love the Lord much. But he needed prayers to empower and perfect his love and to express it without fearing anything. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts fear (1 Jn.4:18). Later, after Peter received the anointment, he did go to prison and death for following Christ.
3. Arise and build: 2:20, ‘^So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore, we His servants will arise and build……’. Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem for the Lord placed a great burden regarding the broken walls of this city and the consequent afflictions of His people. After spending much time in fasting, praying and mourning, he inspected the broken walls. And he set his heart to build up the broken wall. As soon as his desire was presented before the people, opposition rose up from Sanballat and Tobiah. They mocked Nehemiah and despised him and the Jews who stood with him, trying to discourage them from the great mission of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. But Nehemiah’s trust was in the Lord. He encouraged the Jews and motivated them to ‘arise and build’. Many will be there to discourage the great mission works of the Lord, while only a few or even none might be there to encourage. But if our focus is on the Lord, He Himself will strengthen the feeble hands and legs to arise and build up His church, in the midst of strong opposition. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom.8:31). Let’s not be victims of mockery and hatred by being discouraged and thus withdraw from the great works of the Lord. Instead, let’s focus on Him, arise and use every opportunity to build up His kingdom.

We have a great journey ahead. As the challenges of fear and discouragement try to block the God ordained journeys ahead, let’s take care to arise and eat His Word, pray and build up His kingdom. Elijah arose, ate and drank and went in the strength of that meat 40 days and 40 nights, unto Horeb, the mount of God. He heard the small voice of God and further went to do as instructed by the Lord. He thus overcame the snare of Jezebel. Peter repented and was restored to the Lord. He later received the anointment and was one of the strong pillars of New Testament Church. Nehemiah continued to focus on the Lord and encourage the Jews and, they together rebuilt the broken walls of Jerusalem.

GOD bless us all.

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