“And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.” (1Kings 19:8)
Elijah had just killed all the prophets of Baal and Jezebel had sworn to kill him for it. So, he went into the desert and after a day’s journey he came to a juniper tree, sat under it and prayed that he might die. He fell asleep there and an angel of the Lord woke him up and fed him. (1Kings 18:22-19:7)
The Lord sent an angel to feed Elijah for His continued work. And it was on the strength of that food that Elijah was able to keep going for the Lord forty days and nights to Mount Horeb, the mount of God where God speaks to him. This was the mountain on which God spoke to Moses and there God spoke to Elijah. There are a few things here that relate to us.
The Lord fed Elijah because Elijah still had work to do. He needed sustenance to continue. The Lord provided what Elijah needed. We too need to continue our work for the Lord. The Lord will sustain us and give us what we need to continue His work. Let’s look at our blessings. They are not to be consumed and wasted on us. As His children on earth, we have been commissioned to earth. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matthew 28:19) We are the Lord’s ambassadors. (2 Corinthians 5:20) He has made us His ministers of reconciliation. “And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” (2Corinthians 5:18) So we invest what the Lord has blessed us with for His kingdom.
In Psalms 23 we have David’s word of the Lord’s sustenance. There is nothing we lack for the Lord’s work. We have His Word, His Promises and His Strength. “I shall not want.” (Psalms 23:1) The Lord hasn’t commissioned us bare handed to fend for ourselves. He’s given us supernatural provision for the long haul. What is it that we need to complete our journey? What is it that we need to obey and to accomplish His Will? We are not to take His blessings, close the door to the world and with a thank you consume the seed of His blessing for our stomachs.
Are you sick? He provides healing. (1 Peter 2:24) Are you too old and weak? He provides strength. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2Timothy 1:7) We have no excuse before God. As Paul told Timothy “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God...” (2 Timothy 1:6) Whatever God has placed on your heart and whatever is burning in your hearts to do, do it.
You may say to yourself that you have not heard from the Lord, so you don’t know what to do. Solomon in his God given wisdom wrote, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Now is the time to work, while we’re still here on this earth. Once we leave this world, there is no more work. The Word of God has given us enough to do without having to hear His voice or see His handwriting it on a stone for us. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) Before creation, God had each one of us in mind. He created us for a specific purpose. Start by obeying His Word. We all can start there.
Like Elijah, God had a journey for Elijah of forty days and nights to Mount Horeb where He spoke to Him. Start your journey by taking that step of obedience. It may take fasting and praying. It may take forty days and nights. But go to spiritual Mount Horeb, that spiritual place of God’s presence. He will speak to you there.
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