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The History

"Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had slain all the prophets [of Baal] with the sword.

Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.

Then he was afraid and arose and went for his life and came to Beersheba of Judah [over eighty miles, and out of Jezebel's realm] and left his servant there."---I Kings 19:1-3

The Prayer

"But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a lone broom or juniper tree and asked that he might die. He said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers."---I Kings 19:4

The Answer

"As he lay asleep under the broom or juniper tree, behold, an angel touched him and said to him, Arise and eat.

He looked, and behold, there was a cake baked on the coals, and a bottle of water at his head. And he ate and drank and lay down again.

The angel of the Lord came the second time and touched him and said, Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.

So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and nights to Horeb, the mount of God."---I Kings 19:5-8

The Study

Sometimes we can make our spiritual relationship with God so complicated, when in reality, it is so simple. How do I know? Well, because when I look up the definition of the word 'complicated', there is nothing about it that complements the character of God. God says His yoke is easy (Matthew 11:30), that He is not the author of confusion (I Corinthians 14:33) and that in Him, there is wisdom, peace and protection (Proverbs 19:23), and yet complicated matters are those that are 'not easy to understand or analyze'.

Perhaps that is why even with all of the church goin', text quotin' and Bible totin' we do, when it comes to being a success at our spirituality, we miss it; and that is why I find the dialogue between Elijah and this Angel of God so powerful and pertinent to our daily lives as believers and followers of Christ.

In this chapter, we find Elijah running from Queen Jezebel, and understandably so. At that time, she was as influential as she was evil, and often when we choose to look at matters in the physical sense, it can intimidate us. As a matter of fact, the story goes on to share that Elijah was so afraid of what she might do to him, that he asked God to have mercy and take his life instead.

Amazing isn't it? Even with all of the trials and tribulations in Elijah's path, he missed one key lesson---God was not going to allow anything to happen to him without His permission. God was not scared of Jezebel, and since Elijah was living a life in submission to God, he didn't need to be, either.

But sometimes, we miss it.

Now, you would think that when a servant of God gets into a bind---when his heart is heavy and his fears are mounting, there must be some supernatural steps that he needs to take. You know, perhaps going to church for five hours, seven days a week. You know, turning on TBN at the highest volume and reciting various scriptures all night long. You know, living your life as a secluded hermit for fear that one mistake, one slip up could deafen the Father's ears as you call out to Him for help.

WHERE DO WE GET THIS MENTALITY FROM?

Its certainly not from God, and aside from the myriad of scriptures that the Word provides in support of peace and rest, this story paints a perfect picture to support this fact.

Those who know me, really know me, are aware of the fact that I often reflect the tendencies of a workaholic. Sometimes I can be on this thing (the PC) 12-15 hours a day, missing the necessary meals, leisure time and sleep that is needed to successfully operate in what I feel I am called to do---share and enlighten through the written word. Everytime my mother asks me how I am, if there is a less than positive report, the first thing she asks is if I am eating and resting.

DON'T MISS THIS.

The body and spirit are meant to work together. The reason why so many of us live defeated lives is because our spirit is in submission to our flesh, which is never how God intended our make-up to be. The Enemy knows that if we can get our spirit to listen to our flesh, and if he can then attack our flesh, without a doubt, he can overtake us.

So, he tempts us to partake in activities that are contrary to God's Word. Then when he gets us full of guilt, bitterness, anger, low self-confidence and fear, he encourages us to take things one step farther by not fueling our bodies with what is necessary to fight---we don't sleep, we don't eat (and when we do, we don't eat right), we don't exercise, we don't take vitamins, we don't take "us" time...we don't CHILL OUT.

And when we do not do these things, we are not working at our best. No wonder when we have bills that are due, we are ready to pass out---literally. No wonder so many of us are in unhealthy relationships and as a result we are overweight, or underweight and looking a complete mess. No wonder when our health is tested, we instantly become depressed and defeated. No wonder when someone tests us either personally or professionally, we throw in the towel. We are not in our right minds, because we do not take proper care of our bodies.

I find it to be no coincidence that even with all of the perceived "drama" in Elijah's life, the first set of instructions that he was given were very basic---"Arise and eat." God did not tell him to erect some huge altar, preach some dramatic sermon, or even devote his weekends to some worthy cause. Contrary to the popular belief of some, God does not work on a point system---you do not have to earn His peace, His provision, His protection through a long list of acts.

What you do have to do is take care of the temple that you were given. Sure there are spiritual laws that we all must follow in order that we may have a fulfilling life. We must pray, we must submit, we must have faith, we must obey; but, God in His infinite wisdom also provided us with guidelines for our physical being. Sleeping, eating and relaxing are not signs of self-indulgence, but of self-preservation.

I just love what the angel told Elijah in verse 7, "Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you."

Seems so simple doesn't it? There is someone who is threatening Elijah's life and yet God wants him to take time out to eat. But think about it. When was the last time that you were hungry? I mean, really hungry? It almost makes one feel delusional, doesn't it? Now tell me, how is God going to communicate anything of merit to you when you are out of your right mind?

See, God wasn't ignoring Elijah's concern, He was addressing it. He knew that once Elijah's flesh was in balance, His instructions would be clearer to him.

But don't miss the final point. Some of us are on the verge of a great fight, a great test. If all that you got out of this was to eat a Nutri-Grain bar on your way to work, then you didn't get much. Did you notice that Elijah stayed where he was and ate for forty days and forty nights? Although there are various symbolisms throughout history between this period of time and the miracles of God, there is one that people may overlook.

According to various studies, it takes approximately 14-21 days to start a new habit. Did you catch that? God wanted Elijah to get into the HABIT of eating and resting in preparation of what was to come. Many of us need to get into the HABIT of resting, the HABIT of exercising, the HABIT of pampering ourselves, the HABIT of eating well, so that we can be better prepared to face the Enemy. Verse 8 says that the food he was given provided him with strength.

The Enemy does all that he can to play off of our weaknesses, whether that is in the spiritual sense or the physical sense. Don't let him fool you into thinking that you can be just as effective in your spiritual strength when you are physically weak. Remember, we serve a God of simplicity and a God of order. I am preaching to the choir when I say that as you search for your "deep" answers and revelations, make sure you have followed the basics.

Eat healthy meals. Get at least six hours of sleep. Take a 15 minute walk. Take a multi-vitamin. Allot "you" time. A part of being spiritually in tact is being physically on point. Get into the habit of it. TODAY.

Shellie R. Warren/2003