Christianity is not a playground but a battleground!
When Elijah came back from his victory on Mount Carmel he was exhausted with the struggle with Jezebel and others. He collapsed underneath the Juniper tree and experienced what Winston Churchill called – ‘The Black Dog’. Today, all around our country, people are feeling exhausted with the emotional and financial struggle we’re all experiencing in some measure, but who will they turn to?
For Elijah he turned to Lord and shared his heart – “I’ve had enough, Lord, take my life”.He needed a hug from the Lord and to be strengthened. With the releasing of some restrictions many people are now able to hug their loved ones who they’ve not been able to have any physical contact with for months and you can see the joy in their faces and the relief that someone close to them was finally around to hug them.
Some years ago, before we went to Bible College we were prayed over by the elders. One of them, a very quiet godly man gave a word “You have fought well against the foot soldiers and now you will have to fight against the horsemen!” We were rather surprised by this word but we knew one day it would be there for us to strengthen us and remind us that the Lord knew all about the experience a long time before we did. In the second year at college I found myself having a difficult time and the Lord reminded me of the prophecy and reassured me that he was alongside and would bring me through.
God always has a word for us and he is always alongside reminding us in scripture that he will never leave us or forsake us. For Elijah he tenderly spoke to him in his moment of brokenness and sent an angel who gave him a hug! “Get up and eat for the journey is too much for you” He reminds him that there are thousands that are in the same spiritual battle but they have not given in. When Winston Churchill was asked during the second world war to speak at Harrow on the 29th of October, 1941 he said, “Never give in…Never, give in… Never, Never, Never…” He went on to thank God that everyone would play a part and remember how the nation rose to the challenge.
Maybe you’d like to look this speech up and relive those moments when all seemed lost, but new heart was put into the nation by Churchill’s words. My prayer today is that the Lord will put new heart in all of us to share the best message in the world during these times of testing
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
