When you have a busy day, you work a lot, you have a stressful time in traffic, or you’ve had many meetings during your day, at the end of such a day, all you want is to rest! Take shower, eat some food and lay down on the bed. Isn’t it? When you sleep and eat, you renew your strength, you feel better, you feel ready to face another day early in the morning.
When you don’t sleep well, you don’t eat enough food, you become tired, annoyed, and all you want is sleep and do nothing.
I had many experiences like that before. There were so many nights where I spent the entire night out with friends worshipping God and praying until it was time to go to work again.
Then once I was at work, all I wanted to do was go to bed, do nothing and sleep…it is not easy. Our body needs rest and renewal, restoration.
And, today I’d like to talk to you all about: Renewal to keep going!
The message is: Renewal to keep going.
All of us need to be renewed! If you are weak, if you find yourself in need of some help along your journey, God will renew your strength and help you keep going, up until the end. Amen?!
The bible says:
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
If you are going through troubles, if you are fighting a hard battle, the bible says that it is just for a moment… it will end …that is a momentary trouble, a momentary battle, and there will an eternal glory that far outweighs all troubles.
Even if outwardly we are becoming weak, inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
So, today, receive the renewal to keep going!
Today we will study about Elijah. He was a prophet from God.
He was used by God to confront Israel, he performed many miracles, he was fed by ravens, he prayed to God for it not rain for 3 years, and it worked, he blessed a widow’s house. He said:
“For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’ ”1 Kings 17:14
God provided over that widow’s house.
Also this widow had a son who died. He stopped breathing. Elijah prayed and the boy returned to life.
After that, Elijah faced the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. There he prayed and God sent fire over the mountain and many prophets of Ball died on that day.
God was with Elijah, The power of God was seen over his life.
Nobody could stop him…nobody….but look at what the bible says happened after that.
“Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. 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 forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.””
1 Kings 19:1-8, 11-13, 15, 18
Elijah was a great prophet, he had a strong relationship with God. He was used by God to do many miracles… but he feared, he was afraid and ran away when Jezebel threatened him with death. He ran away…
He went to the wilderness and laid down to rest…he asked in prayer: Lord, I have had enough. Take my life. I wanna die. I wanna die. I don’t deserve to live…Kill me.
In moments of desperation we make weird prayers, don’t we?
How many times have you asked for death? How many times have you thought about stopping/quitting everything?
How many times have you considered giving up?
Elijah thought that Jezebel had killed all prophets and he was the last in Israel.
He forgot for a moment what God had made through him, what God spoken to him, what he had lived with The Lord Almighty of Israel.
Sometimes we do the same…
We have experiences with God, we have revelations, words of knowledge from God, God shows us His power…but then a threat comes, some bad news come, some kind of trouble starts, a person betrays you, Satan fights against you and you forget about everything that God has ever told you…
God uses you to confront the sin of people, but when you are confronted you run…
God uses you to perform miracles but when you’re the one in need of some miracle, you fear….
God provided to others many times through your life, but when it’s time for God to provide for your home, you run away… you fear…
God uses you to stop the rain, but when it’s time to speak with you, you get scared….
God shows His power, His fire coming from heaven, you are used by God, but a threat of death come, and you go to the wilderness… and there you plead: Please, God I have had enough, take my life…
You are scared of what could happen with your life…
Elijah was like that…
He ran away to the wilderness….
But God is a merciful God. He never gives up on us.
You can run and try to hide yourself, you can try to live in the wild, you can wish to die, but God never gives up from you!
He goes to meet you, he goes to you! He wants to understand you, change you, and strength you to keep going!
He wants to renew you to keep going…
He did it to Elijah!
Elijah was tired, in depression, fearing for his life, afraid of the plan of God to his life…but look at what happens in this verse:
“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.”
1 Kings 19:5-6
So, for those who are weak, for those who have ran away to the wilderness, those who fear bad days, bad news, for those who need a renewal….we have a lesson from the Lord, here:
1st lesson
– Get up and eat!
The Angel touched Elijah and said: Get up and eat. And Elijah saw some baked bread and a jar of water.
If you read the verse 7, you’ll see the Angel comes again and says: Get up and eat for the journey is too much for you.
My brother and sister, you have a journey ahead of you, you have many obstacles to overcome… You need to get up from this place you are living… You need to get up from your place of weakness, you need to get up from the spiritual bed, you need to get out the wilderness, you need to get up from the place that holds you down. Get up! God says: Get up!
It’s no time to stop. It’s not time to finish the race…
2nd lesson
– Feed your soul, you have a journey ahead!
You need to eat because the journey is too much for you and you have no time to waste…
Elijah took the bread and ate it… After that he took the water and drank it.
Today I invite you to take the bread and eat it. I invite you to take the water and drink it.
Jesus said:
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”” John 6:51
Jesus is the bread that came down from heaven.
All you need to get your strength back is Jesus. Eat from Jesus, he is the living bread! Hallelujah!
Also, Jesus says:
“but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.””
John 4:14
Hallelujah, Jesus has fresh water for you! Drink from Jesus and you will never be thirsty again…
Jesus, the living bread and the fresh water!
Get up and eat, because the journey ahead is too much for you, but with Jesus, you can finish the race. Amen?!
So, Elijah got up and ate. The bible says:
“Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.”
Can you imagine it? He ate and then travelled for forty days until he reached the mountain of God.
The distance he walked is of around 300 kilometres… it was a lot, but the food he ate was enough to keep him going. God gave him strength.
So, when Elijah arrived at Horeb mountain, The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?
3rd lesson
– Listen to God’s voice and be renewed!
A powerful wind tore the mountains but the Lord was not in the wind.
An earthquake happened and fire came down but the Lord was not in the earthquake nor in the fire.
After the fire, a gentle whisper came….when Elijah heard it, he prepared himself to hear the voice of God.
When Elijah was in God’s presence, he told God he was the last prophet of Israel and that all the others had been killed by Jezebel. It’s like he was saying: God, your plan has failed. It’s better for to take my life than for Jezebel to kill me. Starts a new plan using some other person…because I’m the last one and I can’t do it!
But God said to Elijah…
Do you really think you are the last prophet? Do you think that my plan has failed? Go back the way you came, anoint 2 other kings and Elisha to keep the ministry of prophet. And God also said: You are not the last prophet. Still I preserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
Wow! God has his ways! His plan never fails!
I don’t know what you are thinking. I don’t know how you are managing your life, but I tell you this: “You need to hear God’s voice today”.
He is speaking to your heart. He is speaking right now.
He is telling you that:
-He is not in the middle of the confusion,
-He is not in the middle of the thoughts that haunt you,
-He is not in the middle of the fear that keeps you from moving forward,
-He is saying that he’s not in the doubt in your heart.
So, stop what you are doing, stop your plans for a moment and listen the voice of God.
He is not shouting today… he’s whispering, he’s whispering in your ear. Can you hear his voice? Could you stop for a moment and hear his voice speaking with you?
God is telling you:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.””
Joshua 1:9
“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Be renewed by God today!
Eat from Jesus, The living bread, the living water, feed your soul, get up and walk this journey ahead of you, hear God’s voice and receive renewal in your heart.
The race is not yet over. You need to keep going, you need to be ready to walk the journey of the Lord, maybe you think that this journey is too much to you, but take courage, be strong, be courageous, do not be afraid, Jesus overcame the world.
He is with you, wait on the Lord, and He will renew your strength. You have a work to do and until the end, you will be filled by the Holy Spirit to complete your calling!
Get renewal from God to keep going right until the end!