SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: 1 Kings 19:1-8
1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, 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. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7 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. 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.
MORE LESSON: John 7:37-38
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Sunday, 21 September
Memory Verse: The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and this was what I gave them. This called for reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. Malachi 2:5 (NLT)
A Covenant goes beyond a binding agreement to a hallowed, purposeful relationship characterised by conditional blessings or curses. For instance, in Genesis 2:16-17, the conditions for the covenant of life versus the death penalty were introduced to Adam, and tied to the sources of meals he could and could not eat. The dire consequence of contravening this changed the trajectory of man's relationship with God and introduced mortality to the human race.
Fast-forward to around 2,630 years later, Elijah was commissioned as God’s prophet to uphold the covenant between God and Israel, turning them away from the worship of Baal. 1 Kings 19:1-8 gives a narrative of Prophet Elijah's experience as he fled from Jezebel. The day's journey (estimated at 18-30 miles), the wilderness experience, being alone, resulted in the dissipation of strength to the point that he became so weary and slept under a juniper tree. The tree of the cedar family, is one of the oldest living tree species, surrounded by several myths and believed to represent a place of renewal, rejuvenation and healing. Unfortunately, his weariness went beyond the physical to the fabric of his spirit (his intellect, awareness and consciousness of God as his source). Alas, rather than cry to God for help, he cried to God for death.
God did not lead Elijah into the wilderness; he chose to move to escape for his life. We should navigate negative experiences by running into the Strong Tower (the name of the Lord), for therein is sustained strength. Loneliness is more than a physical experience, for you can be alone but not feel lonely. Elijah felt alone, not only physically but also spiritually (verse 10). There is indeed strength in companionship, both physical, mental, and spiritual.
The journey of life cannot be accomplished without adequate spiritual strength. We must continually feed on meals to sustain our strength. Therefore, the angel woke up Elijah a second time to eat and in the strength of that meal supplied to the Prophet by God, he journeyed 40 days and 40 nights. Imagine a man who was wearied after a day's journey on normal food but could travel 40 days and 40 nights on a divinely supplied meal. You can not feed on grass and manifest grace. Receive wisdom to feed fat on divine resources.
Prayer/Action
* Thank God for the privilege of covenants.
* Thank God because you are a part of the covenant of Abraham and also the New Covenant.
* Ask for grace to fulfil your obligations in your covenant with God and never be a covenant breaker.
TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: I prophesy to the giant in me to rise today and begin to do greater things, in the matchless name of Jesus.
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