Monday September 13, 2021

Today is Monday, September 13 and this week we are exploring how restoration changes lives.

As I enter a time of prayer, I pause and become still. I calm my mind and quiet my heart. I breathe deeply and slowly, and center myself upon the presence of God.

Pause and Pray

I am present today to hear a word from you, Father God. Speak to my heart and mind in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord. Come Holy Spirit, I am listening for your voice. Amen.

I praise the Lord God and rejoice in His provision with the words of Psalm 104.

All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. Psalm 104:27-28

Pause and Pray

Today we find ourselves in the Old Testament book of First Kings. We enter a suspenseful, dramatic scene. The prophet Elijah is running for his life. He has infuriated Queen Jezebel and she sends her henchmen to execute him. Elijah travels on foot an entire day’s journey into the barren wilderness outside of the town of Beersheba. He is tired, hungry, thirsty, exhausted and afraid. He can go no further. He must stop. Elijah finds a little bit of shade and rests under a native shrub called a broom bush.

He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 1 Kings 19:4b-8

Like Elijah, I also am on a journey. I may not be running for my life, escaping violent people who want to kill me, but I am on a journey. I travel through life confronting challenges, facing dangers, realizing fears, and coping with uncertainty. Sometimes my wilderness journey may seem lonely. I acknowledge that like Elijah I too can feel tired and afraid. There are days (maybe today is one of them) when I just do not want to keep moving ahead. I can go no further. The journey is too much for me. When my spirits are low, I need the refreshment only God can supply. God has the sustenance to restore me. God provides the nourishment to fuel me for the journey that is ahead.

Ask: What part of my journey makes me weary and tired today? What part of my journey is too much for me?

Pause and Pray

Loving God, as Elijah sat down under the broom bush and prayed, I sit before you and pray. I confess there are places in my life where I too have “had enough”. When I imagine what lies ahead, I worry that this part of my journey is too much for me. I need strength to go the distance and live the life you are calling me to live. I read the words of 1 Kings again and try to find myself in the story of Elijah and the broom bush.

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage?

He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 1 Kings 19:4b-8

I notice that the angel comes to Elijah not once but twice. Both times the angel touches him and tells him to get up and eat. Elijah eats and drinks as he is instructed. He is strengthened by those two small meals to travel an entire forty day journey. How far will I be able to go with the strength God wants to supply me?

Elijah’s destination is Mt. Horeb, a sacred and holy place where he is destined to meet God. It occurs to me that God supplies Elijah with exactly what he needs to complete his God-given journey. In my own life, I try to remember that God will supply me with exactly what I need to complete my God-given journey. God knows my needs better than I know them myself. God knows my limitations better than I know them myself. What am I in “short supply” of? What am I trying to accomplish in my own strength and power? Where do I need to acknowledge my limitations?

I imagine waking in the cool shade of a tiny broom tree to the smell of freshly baked bread and the sight of sparkling clear water. What do the bread and water represent to me? What exactly is it that I need in order to have the strength for my particular life journey? I can count on God to supply me with what I need, even if He needs to come back around more than once and replenish the supply. When I get tired, God will restore me.

Pause and Pray

Holy Lord God, I confess that I try to go on my journey in my own power and I do not rely on your sustenance and strength. You know my needs even before I ask and you are always eager to supply me. I invite you into my circumstances and ask you for the good food – what angels prepare for hungry souls. Restore my strength so I can go the distance. Amen.

“He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied.” Matthew 15:35-37a

As I leave this time of prayer and go throughout my day, I go with renewed strength for the journey. I seek those around me who need the sustenance God provides through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.