Strength For Forty Days And Forty Nights
by Pastor Andrew Wolfenbarger
10/29/2023
1 Kings 19:8 - “And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.”
Elijah is coming off of one of the true mountain-top experiences recorded in the Scriptures. You may recall Mount Carmel when Elijah called down fire from Heaven and defeated the prophets of Baal. One would think that the thrill of that moment would have lasted Elijah for a lifetime. As we read the Scriptures, it appears it lasted for only a very short time. Now we find him sleeping under a Juniper tree, defeated, hopeless, and wishing to die. How did we get here?
1. A Looming Threat (v. 2)
“So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.”
The evil queen Jezebel has threatened the life of the prophet because he had executed her precious prophets.
2. A Lonely Retreat (v. 3-4)
“and left his servant there”
We learn that Elijah has a servant who travels with him, but because of his peril, he abandons him and seeks to isolate himself.
3. A Lost Motivation (v. 4)
“It is enough”
Elijah is at wit's end. He doesn’t feel that he can go on. He’s one day past giving up and he now tells God that he can’t move forward.
Maybe you have been in a similar situation. Not that you have had an evil queen seeking to take your life, but you felt like you couldn’t go on another day. Perhaps you felt that you were all alone or that you were waiting for the next bit of bad news to drop. In these moments, what do you do to carry on?
In Elijah’s case, God sent a minister to him. The Lord wasn’t angry or upset with His servant. He heard his depression and recognized this was no time to chasten him. This was a time to be merciful and gentle. So, God sent an Angel to touch, feed, and give him water.
Whereas Elijah thought he was alone, God had been with him all along. This encounter strengthened Elijah more than his victory on Mount Carmel ever could have. The Bible says it strengthened him for forty days and forty nights.
During our revival, we do not need mere victories that can encourage us for another day. We don’t just need a good sermon that impresses us or an illustration that moves us. What we need is the work of God that will empower us for many days.
God is keenly aware of what our spirit is going through. If we are satisfied with our spiritual condition today, God cannot fill us. But, if we come hungry, God says, “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Psalm 107:9). The work that God does is able to last long after our revival services have concluded.
10/29/2023
1 Kings 19:8 - “And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.”
Elijah is coming off of one of the true mountain-top experiences recorded in the Scriptures. You may recall Mount Carmel when Elijah called down fire from Heaven and defeated the prophets of Baal. One would think that the thrill of that moment would have lasted Elijah for a lifetime. As we read the Scriptures, it appears it lasted for only a very short time. Now we find him sleeping under a Juniper tree, defeated, hopeless, and wishing to die. How did we get here?
1. A Looming Threat (v. 2)
“So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.”
The evil queen Jezebel has threatened the life of the prophet because he had executed her precious prophets.
2. A Lonely Retreat (v. 3-4)
“and left his servant there”
We learn that Elijah has a servant who travels with him, but because of his peril, he abandons him and seeks to isolate himself.
3. A Lost Motivation (v. 4)
“It is enough”
Elijah is at wit's end. He doesn’t feel that he can go on. He’s one day past giving up and he now tells God that he can’t move forward.
Maybe you have been in a similar situation. Not that you have had an evil queen seeking to take your life, but you felt like you couldn’t go on another day. Perhaps you felt that you were all alone or that you were waiting for the next bit of bad news to drop. In these moments, what do you do to carry on?
In Elijah’s case, God sent a minister to him. The Lord wasn’t angry or upset with His servant. He heard his depression and recognized this was no time to chasten him. This was a time to be merciful and gentle. So, God sent an Angel to touch, feed, and give him water.
Whereas Elijah thought he was alone, God had been with him all along. This encounter strengthened Elijah more than his victory on Mount Carmel ever could have. The Bible says it strengthened him for forty days and forty nights.
During our revival, we do not need mere victories that can encourage us for another day. We don’t just need a good sermon that impresses us or an illustration that moves us. What we need is the work of God that will empower us for many days.
God is keenly aware of what our spirit is going through. If we are satisfied with our spiritual condition today, God cannot fill us. But, if we come hungry, God says, “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Psalm 107:9). The work that God does is able to last long after our revival services have concluded.
Posted in Relationship with Christ, The Mighty God, Victorious Faith
Tagged with 1 Kings 19, Strength, Elijah, mountain, Threat, isolation, depression, motivation, alone, empower, hungry
Tagged with 1 Kings 19, Strength, Elijah, mountain, Threat, isolation, depression, motivation, alone, empower, hungry
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