Wednesday, January 28, 2009 10:55 AM
Instead of the Verse for the Day, today the Lord has laid on my heart a little more heavier a message for you. I pray that your eyes may be opened and your hearts be ready to take this in.
Before I start the message lets say a small prayer together "Father I pray Lord that Your word will break through every barrier of unbelief , of laziness and a slack lukewarm attitude. Father I pray that Your word will touch and change the lives of those who read it and that the hunger for You will increase. Father may Your hand of favour be upon this and may Your Holy Peace fill our lives. May You Lord alone be the one we seek ...our source of Comfort, our Best Friend and our Sovreign Holy God. In the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we ask, we believe and we receive. Amen"
Lets turn our Bibles to 1 Kings 19 : 4-13 (Here is a good online link for reading the Bible http://www.biblegateway.com/)
Verses 4-8 goes like like this
"4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” 5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
6 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. 7 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.” 8 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."
Elijah had reached the peak of his tolerance , his stamina and his ability to go forward . Being the great man of God that he was you can imagine how the situation must have been for him to cry out to the Lord asking for death.
But Praise the Lord that our Father forgives us for our idle words spoken in our weakness. Praise the Lord that He does not give us everything we ask in prayer.
Are you tired and weary today ? Is loneliness , anxiety, financial worries, uncertainities of the future, family issues,... weighing heavily upon you ?
Be Patient and wait on the Lord. This is a time of preparation.
In v6 we read that an angel touched him and said to him "Arise and eat" These words are the key for today's message.... ARISE AND EAT !
When Elijah looked he saw by his head was a cake that was baked on coals and a jar of water.
The Lord has given us His Holy Word and His Holy Spirit. Its time to Arise and Eat !!
When we read verses 6-8 we see that the angel of the Lord came back a second time and said "Arise and eat,because the journey is too great for you"
The journey ahead of us might be too great. But if we choose to arise and eat of His Word and drink of the Living Waters then His grace will sustain us... He will be our strength. The Lord has already done everything for us... He took our place on the cross , He died for our sins ,...He sent us the Holy Spirit... We have His Holy Word.... All that we need to do is to Arise and Eat and we will get through the journey.
Please note that the journey does not disappear. But if we arise and eat then we walk in the strength of the Lord. We read in verse 8 that he went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights.
Its time to Arise and Eat my brothers and sisters in Christ. The journey ahead is quite a lot and its time that we start walking in the strength of the Lord .
ARISE & EAT .
As we continue reading the verses we see that Elijah went into a cave and the word of the Lord came to him. The Lord said "Go out, stand on the mountain before the Lord ."
Elijah was in a place where he thought he was safe. He took his refuge in a cave. And the Lord daid to him (in verse 9) "What are you doing here Elijah?"
Are you taking shelter in a place that you think is right ? The Lord is going to question you saying "What are you doing there?? " Its obviously not where God wants you to be. Do not lean on your own understanding.
Next we need to understand that when we stand upon the Rock our Lord and Saviour we need to have no fear. Come out of the caves and listen to the word of the Lord saying "Go out , stand on the mountain before the Lord"
When you stand on the word of God you go out in boldness. If you are afraid of what people are going to say and you take a passive position , the Lord is saying ..."Go out, stand on the mountain"
Its time to COME OUT OF THE CAVES
Here is the best part... Are you listening ??
As we read verses 11-13 we read that a great strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces,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 !!!!
Be sensitive to the voice of God.
Not everything that you see which seems mighty or seems fascinating is of the Lord. Do not be carried away ! Be sensitive to the voice of the Lord and learn to recognize where He is and go there.
We read that after the fire there was a still small voice. And when Elijah heard it , he wrapped his face in his mantle ! That voice was the Lord.
Sometimes we get carried away in the winds, the earthquakes, the fire .... things that seem to catch our attention ...but alas the Lord was not there in them.
Be sensitive to know where the Lord is..... Be sensitive to spend time in His presense and listen .... and we will hear His voice.
LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF GOD
God Bless
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