Jan 24
Today’s Truth
Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you” 1 Kings 19:7 (NLT).
Friend to Friend
“I’m done,” I thought, as I stared at the ceiling.
It was the end of a long day. I was in an unfamiliar bed. My feet hurt.
Honestly, none of those things were the issue. The truth was I loved what I got to do in ministry. I was thankful for the woman who opened her home to me. My feet would feel better in the morning, especially if I chose more comfortable shoes.
The problem was that I had come to the end of myself.
In 1 Kings 18, Elijah is called by God to deliver a message to King Ahab. When that message is questioned by the King, Elijah invites him and 450 false prophets of Baal to join him on Mount Carmel. There, he asks the prophet of Baal to pray to their gods that fire would come from heaven and consume a sacrifice. They prayed to no avail.
Elijah then asked for 4 large jars of water to be poured out over the sacrifice. As he looked to heaven and prayed, fire came down and consumed the sacrifice. Shortly after, the long-awaited rain came to a dry and barren land.
Sounds great, right? Except there’s more to this story. Elijah returned home and, in the next scene, we find him depleted, anxious, and ready to throw in the towel.
That’s when an angel appears.
Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you” 1 Kings 19:7 (NLT).
There was no reminder of what had taken place just a few days earlier. There was no rebuke. The angel simply reminded Elijah that he needed to stop and fill back up. There was no doubt that Elijah would continue his work.
But he needed to rest, to restore, and fill back up before taking one more step.
When I look back at that moment where I came to the end of myself, I am thankful God met me there. Rather than chastising me for my thoughts of giving up, I was reminded that I was never asked to do this in my own power.
I had three choices: 1) I could keep going. 2) I could give up. 3) I could fill up.
If you’ve been running after God’s calling – whether as a mom, a grandparent, a friend, ministering to people in your neighborhood, your church, or your community – and you are tired from the inside out, don’t beat yourself up for being human.
Just as you have shown up to encourage others, your Heavenly Father is your advocate. Instead of giving up, it’s time to fill up. That might be physical rest. That might be eating a good meal. That might be a break or time alone with God. For most of us, it’s all these things.
And here’s the most beautiful news of all. That beautiful work will still be there after you’ve filled up, and you will have what you need to keep going.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, I’m tired from the inside out. I somehow think that if I stop to fill up, I’m failing, but it’s not failure. It’s wise. Today, instead of giving up, I’m slowing down to fill up.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
What might it look like for you to fill up?
If you’ve been pouring out creatively, perhaps you need to take time to create just for the fun.
If you’ve been pouring out spiritually, find time alone with God to bring water to those dry places.
If you’ve been pouring out with people, perhaps it’s time to take a walk, hike, or read so you can take a deep breath and rest your thoughts.
Whatever you need to fill back up, schedule a time to do just that on your calendar.
More from the Girlfriends
In Suzie’s book, Come With Me: Discovering the Beauty of Following Where He Leads she invites you to walk with Jesus, and to discover how that changes your every day life. It’s a faith-changing book that moves you from tradition to transformation.
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© 2022 by Suzanne Eller. All rights reserved.
“Find rest my soul in Christ alone.”
My Lord. God I Thank you!! Mom has been in the emergency room now for 11 hours. She is resting and doing well. But I am exhausted. Thank you so much for this encouragement and the prayer. While she is here, I am thinking of all the things I need to go take care of atcher hone like cleaning, laundry, and groceries needed. But I think I will rest for a few hours. “I am slowing down to fill up.”
Blessings to you!!
Hi, Suzie. First, be encouraged that you’re doing just what the Lord wants you to do and you don’t know—you can’t know—how many lives you’re touching with the love of Christ. That’s something I try to remind myself of often as I write articles and encouragements for Facebook Christian women’s support groups. It seems my labors go out into the internet ether and just sort of drift away into who knows where, and I wonder, did anyone profit from what I spent so long crafting and researching? Did God use what I wrote? Gosh, I sure hope so. hehe. I also remember something in the Bible about “casting your bread into the waters” and it will come back to you… Okay, well, I have to take my mind away from soggy bread and realize that, yes, doing what God has asked you to do will indeed yield, not wet bread, but…well, somehow be used for his glory, and that’s reward enough.
I do tend to go off on tangents. Not that my tangents aren’t worth going off on, but I had something else to say more relevant to what you wrote. You mentioned doing something creative just for the fun of it. That’s good advice, but I learned something just last year in an artists’ seminar that opened my eyes. When we use our creative gifts and we consciously thank and praise God while we are working for giving us our gifts and the ability to use them, it doesn’t matter what kind of art or project we’re working on, time spent in such a creative “zone” is just as valuable as time spent in prayer! It is, in fact, pretty much the same thing—communion with our Father in Heaven. Close and loving communion.
To all the girlfriends: Use your gifts, praise God for them and you’ll be both honoring him and communing with him at the same time.
I’m a pastor’s wife and I am tired. We have been in ministry 35 yrs and for some time I have felt weary and wanting to quit. I understand Elijah and Jeremiah. I have experienced God and the transforming power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Lately, I’ve been retreating to my cave wrestling with emotions and wondering when will this pandemic end. Perhaps your devotional has encouraged me to stop and fill up. Thank you
Hi , I have 3 cancers. Hodgkin lymphoma, waldenstroms, & Amyloidadosis of the brain. 2 of the world’s most rarest cancers. I just got Covid on top of all three of these and I was feeling terrible when I read this post the girlfriend sent me. I get your post but some days I don’t read them because I don’t feel good enough. It just really poured out to me. What great scriptures About Elijah. I think it’s giving me enough to carry-on! Thank you so much, Marty