“And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, ‘Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.’ And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.” – I Kings 19:7-8
As I write this I am between trips. Steve King and I just returned from the Michigan District Convention in Ann Arbor and my family is about to leave on a trip to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons to celebrate Becky’s parents’ 50th Wedding Anniversary. While it is fresh in my mind, I thought I would share a few thoughts with you from the Michigan District Convention. Our theme for the Convention was Nourished for the Journey: Remember, Renew, Return, and it was based on 1 Kings 19. After you read this article, I would encourage you to spend some time in God’s Word as you reflect with me on our theme. Please read 1 Kings chapters 17-19.
Elijah had some experiences that I would call “unforgettable.” Before there was pizza delivery or Door Dash, Elijah had his food delivered to him by ravens. Then there were the jars of flour and oil that were used and yet never ran out. There was the time that the Lord listened to Elijah’s voice and returned life to a boy who had died. Elijah had witnessed fire from heaven descending upon the sacrifice he had prepared. Time and again, the Lord was with Elijah to help him and answer His prayers and provide just what he needed. We might suppose that a man who had witnessed God’s might and gracious provision in the ways that Elijah had would remain solid and strong in his faith. Yet, even Elijah had to be reminded (or re-minded). The Lord reminded Elijah that He was not alone—Yahweh Himself was with Him, and there were 7000 others in Israel who had not bowed down to Baal. This is a good reminder for us too! When you are overwhelmed and feel alone, remember that the Lord is with you and many other Christians are too! The Michigan District Convention was a good reminder of this for me! The Lord is with me (and you) and we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Steve and I just got to see and visit with many other Christians who share our confession of faith, who gather around God’s Word and Sacraments just like us, who are seeking to share Christ in their communities too, who are trying hard to be faithful parents, good citizens, productive workers etc. It is good to be reminded of this, so that we are re-minded—so that we think differently about our life and struggles and remain confident in the Lord and His might and gracious provision for our lives.
At his lowest point, Elijah had had enough, and he lay down on the ground and asked to die. It was at this time that the angel of the Lord came to Elijah to bake him some bread and give him some water. Two times He touched Elijah and fed and nourished him to renew his strength. We are told in the strength of that food Elijah journeyed 40 days and nights to Mt. Horeb. He was able to do what he (and no human) could have done by the strength that the Lord provided him. Next time you come to the Lord’s Supper, think of yourself like Elijah—exhausted and empty with nothing left in the tank. Here the true angel (messenger) of the Lord—Christ Himself—comes to you to touch you and to feed and nourish you to renew your strength. In the strength of His forgiveness, you are renewed (or rather re-newed)—you are made new in Christ and strengthened to live and act as you would not be able to apart from the renewal of Christ and His Spirit.
Reminded and renewed, Elijah returns to do the work that the Lord has for him to do—empowering others for the service they will offer to the Lord. So it is with us as well! Re-minded and re-newed by Christ and His Word, we return to the work the Lord sets before us, nourished for the journey that He joins us on! May the Lord bless all your journeys with His abundant nourishment!