WALKING WITH JESUS: A Little Rest, A Little Company, and Some Good Food

Sometimes, all we need to do in order to feel better is get a little rest, a little company, and some good food. In 1 Kings, Elijah receives a threatening message from Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, after Ahab recounts to her Elijah’s prophesies and miracles. She threatened to kill him and he ran away into the wilderness, fearing for his life. Elijah was a prophet and a powerful man of God, who had witnessed many triumphs in God’s name, but he got caught up in his feelings and gave in to his fears. What happened to Elijah happens to many of us from time to time. When you let your emotions speak louder than God, you’ll find yourself off course.

Elijah had performed miracles and prophesied extraordinary things, but he allowed the antagonism and conflict with Jezebel to override everything God had brought him through. When he ran deep into the wilderness, he felt weak, calling out to God to end his life before falling asleep under a broom tree. You see, Elijah had let himself get worn out. He’d done many great things for God’s Kingdom, but he wasn’t giving himself time to replenish after all the emotional expenditures. In the same way, if you’re constantly dealing with stress and trials without slowing down to rest and replenish, you will be left unbalanced. You become your own worst enemy when you don’t take care of yourself! While Elijah slept, an angel appeared before him. The angel was someone in Elijah’s corner, blessing and supporting him. Like Elijah, we all need someone in our corner when we’re in times of trial. 1 Kings 19:5-8 (NKJV) tells us, “as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’ Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the 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.’ So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.”

All Elijah needed was to rest, eat, and have some companionship, which is exactly what the Lord provided. No matter what mess we may get into, God knows how to break through it and reach us where we are. We all have our limits, and it’s up to us to recognize when to step back and give it to God. It was only after Elijah rested and replenished himself that he was able to hear God speaking to him.

“And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” — 1 Kings 19:11-12 (NKJV)

God called Elijah out of the cave and showed him spectacular things, but the Lord was not in the grand gestures. He was not in the wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire. He was the still, small voice. It’s important to recognize that God does not desire to show up big in order to be heard — He wants us close enough and quiet enough in our hearts to hear Him whisper.

Don’t let the noise of other people and circumstances drown out the voice that matters most. When you quiet your heart and mind to hear God He will speak and welcome you into His rest. We all need to take inventory and ask ourselves, when was the last time we had a little rest, good company, and some good food? Let’s make it a priority to discern when it’s time to take a step back and refuel and then do it!

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