“’I have had enough Lord’ he said. ‘Take my life…’. Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once, an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat’”.
(1 Kings 19:4-5 TNIV)
Some may see the phrase “Elijah Days” and recall Scripture synonymous with prophecy and miracles. I have a very personal use of the term: for me, Elijah Days are my codename for days when I must simply sleep and eat!
My reference flows from the passage of Scripture in 1 Kings 19, when the prophet Elijah is sore afraid and discouraged to the point of wishing to die. God’s response to this searing heart cry is easy and practical. He offers Elijah slumber and sustenance. “All at once an angel touched him and said ‘Get up and eat’” (TNIV).
We all require days when we must simply sleep and eat. These are not moments of laziness, but spaces to reset one’s cadence. Spaces of strengthening. Spaces for God.
Elijah reaches his point of deep dejection after a moment of immense triumph, when after defeating the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, he flees in fear at the threat of Jezebel. Like Elijah, we may find ourselves plummeting in a parched landscape amidst the dramatic hills and valleys of life, but such moments may as readily punctuate the ordinary routines of our journey. What we must discover is that these moments are invitations to find our strength in God. Invitations to grow.
Elijah ran to God in the emptiness of his desert place asking to die. We must also run to God and speak from the heart. For Elijah Days expose their treasure only when we invite God into our spiralling state and acknowledge that he alone is our source of strength. Only then, is our desert transformed by his "river of delights" and we find ourselves renewed by the "fountain of life" (Psalms 36:8-9 TNIV). Only then, does a place of rest become a place of divine encounter.
At times of weakness, look to God for your strength, for: “Blessed are those whose strength is in you...as they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs” (Psalm 84:5-6 TNIV).
God knows we are made of dust, and understands when we get weary or fearful. If we go to Him with our troubles and worries He will lead us to the very thing we need.
Great post. Thank you.
Dear Readers, thank you for reading my devotional. Have you found that times of rest can be the most transformative moments with God? Or how does Elijah's experience speak to you? Do share your journey!