Beyond Weary.

I told you there would be more. What happens when you identify the red flags in your own life? Are you there?

• Emotionally spent.
• Relationally isolated.
• Physically overdone.
• Spiritually dry.

I want to revisit just a verse we read yesterday: He came to a broom tree, 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." 5Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.

This prophet of God was in a real funk!Just let me die! You might not ever feel quite like that, and then again; maybe there are times when you have felt like that.

What do you do when you find yourself beyond weary?

Elijah did several things here that are the exactly right response!

1. He prayed!
Far too often we look at prayer as if it is some kind of magical "hocus-pocus" where we wave the spiritual wand of our prayers and "POOF" ... all is well once again. That is not prayer. Can I say it once more? THAT IS NOT PRAYER!

Prayer is simply talking to God. And if you are going to talk to God, you best talk to him with honesty and openness. Did you ever consider that you could really talk to God the way that Elijah did?

In essence Elijah came to God saying, "I would rather die than keep living like this."

Have you reached the place where you could talk with God about the painful place in your life? Don't pretend. Don't put on a fake spiritually. A real relationship with God begins with real prayer. But notice Elijah didn't stop at this point. There was more to do...

 

2. He rested!
He slept. Sometimes the thing you need more than anything is just to rest. We so violate the spiritual principles of the Sabbath. We ignore the Sabbath. We neglect our sleep. We rush, rush, rush, rush, and rush. And then we are surprised when we crash.

Elijah slept. Sometimes the very thing you need more than anything else is to rest. Did you ever consider that rest is a spiritual activity?

But God wasn't done with Elijah. Read the next verses:

5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 6 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.7 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." 8 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.9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

God sent Elijah on a journey ...

 

3. He retreated!
God sends Elijah on a trip - Horeb, also known as Mt. Sinai. This Mount Sinai was not a hospital but the place known as the "mountain of God".

God was inviting Elijah to come near. He was inviting him to gather around. He was inviting Elijah to come into the presence of the Living God.

There are many things we can do when we are weary; none of them is more important that finding yourself openly, honestly, refreshingly in the presence of the Living God.

You don't have to go to a far away mountain to find that place. But you do need to find that place. It is the only way to "beyond weary".

More to come ...