Are you battle-weary? Which spiritual battles are you fighting? Do you feel like you never measure up? Are you exhausted from all the demands of life or ministry? Are you tired of rejection and demotion? Are you fighting for the salvation and/or sanctification of your family member? Are you sick? Depressed? Grieving the loss of a loved one? Betrayed? We can daily face many battles. All of these battles can exhaust us at times.
In 1 Kings 19 in the Bible, we learn that Elijah was exhausted from persecution. He felt so alone. His life was threatened by the evil queen Jezebel. He was so battle-weary that he went a day’s journey into the wilderness and sat down under a broom tree. Then he prayed that he might die. He cried out, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers [ancestors].” Then he fell asleep from exhaustion.
Have you been at the end of your rope? Or simply just exhausted? How did God help Elijah?
You Need Sleep, Good Food, and Water
And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and behold, there was a cake baked on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 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. (1 Kings 19:5-8, King James Version)
So God sent an angel to feed him and give him water to drink after he slept. Sometimes we just need to sleep and take care of our bodies, to eat well and drink water.
The second time, the angel of the Lord, who may very well have been Jesus before He was incarnated, fed him again. We not only need physical rest and food, we need to be fed by God through prayer, the reading of the Bible, and godly sermons. Christian books and websites can be helpful as well. Bottom line: we need God and His Word! Elijah was so energized by God’s ministry and touch that he did not need to eat and drink for forty days and forty nights! He went in the strength of God’s nourishment!
Jesus Knew the Need for Refreshment
Even Jesus saw the value of getting refreshed. He would stay up all night and pray to commune with His Father to get spiritually refreshed, since He didn’t often have time during the day. Other times He would go to deserts to get away from the crowds. One time in Mark 6:31 He is recorded as having said to his disciples, “…Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.” Jesus took care of His disciples’ spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical needs. They were in ministry and were exhausted and couldn’t even find time to eat! If you are pouring out ministry into others, you need refreshment as well! Jesus gives the same invitation to all of us, “Come,…and rest awhile.”
You Need a Fresh Touch from God
A fresh touch from God is what we need most when we are battle-weary and exhausted. A famous passage in the Bible is Isaiah 40:27:
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary: and they shall walk, and not faint.
Amen! God isn’t ever weary! He will give you the strength to soar spiritually in the heavens! He will give you the strength to run and not be weary! He will give you the strength to walk and not faint! He will give you the ability to keep going with fresh joy and strength!
God Will Not Beat You When You Are Down
God will not beat you when you are down! It says of Jesus in Matthew 12:20, “A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.” Jesus will be very gentle with you! He will not break your bruised heart! He will not snuff out the smoking fire of your heart! He will heal you, restore you, refresh you, and catch your heart back on fire for Him with the Holy Spirit!
John the Baptist Was Battle-Weary
In Matthew 11:2-6 we read that John the Baptist was battle-weary. Being imprisoned for his obedience to God, He started doubting if Jesus was even the Messiah. John sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask him, “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” Jesus told those two disciples to tell John about the miracles He was performing. He also said to tell John, “And blessed is he, whosever shall not be offended in me.” John needed to be willing to suffer for Christ, even unto death. Jesus didn’t want John to get offended by the sufferings and unjust persecution he was enduring. He encouraged him that he would be blessed if he hung in there in the face of opposition.
Go to Jesus for Refreshment
Maybe that last passage applies to you right now. Maybe it doesn’t. I know it encourages me. But whatever the case, to all of us battle-weary ones, Jesus invites us: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Go to Jesus. Bring your exhaustion, your pain, your weariness, your sorrow. He understand you perfectly, and He will give you rest! His yoke is easy and His burden is light. That means submitting to Him brings the greatest delight! He is so easy-going!
Comment below or click the conversation bubble above to tell me how I can pray for you to be refreshed. I will happily pray for you in your battles! If you want your comments to remain private, click on the Contact page and fill out the contact form. It will send me a private email. May God refresh you! May you mount up with wings as an eagle!…
September 6, 2023 @ 2:03 am
I wanted to thank you for the CD in Walmart it was very unexpected but that is how God moves. This devotion really spoke to me about Elijah how tired he was. Even when God told him I have not left you.
He truly loved Elijah as he does us. May God Bless you and your ministry in Jesus Name.
September 6, 2023 @ 12:22 pm
Awww, thank you, Anita! You are so welcome, dear! Yes, indeed! We are truly cherished by God! May God bless you as well and help you mount up with wings as an eagle!