1 Kings 19:5-8 "Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat". He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then he lay down again.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". So he got up and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into the cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
As a sons of God, we must :-
1. Be determined to rise.
Nobody can push us to rise, only we can push ourselves. The choice to rise is within our hands. We have to learn to push without anyone telling us! We must be determined to want to rise up from within us first.
In life, we must make a decision to "Get up and not give up!"The first words that the angel spoke to Elijah was "Get up". Elijah was extremely tired as he had to run for his life so much so he felt it was not worth going on anymore. He was willing to let go off his life. He felt very tired/exhausted! Just rejoicing over a success and now he's in such a situation where he was in a worse state. Till he felt it was not worth living or no point in moving forward anymore.
Just like us, we at times encounter such a frustration/trial/challenge that it just cause us to be so overwhelmed by it. It makes us weary because it seems like it would never end. We came in prepared and believed in His word and declared it but yet nothing happens. Our situation doesn't seem to get any better neither is it improving. It was still as frustrating and tiring as before that we just threw our arms in frustration and give up!
But yet, the angel spoke , he said, "GET UP AND EAT." It's irony cause the angel must have not been listening well as Elijah had in verse 4 said, "I have had enough". Seriously, I don't think food is in his mind now. But this statement by Elijah sounds so familiar because that's what we usually would say.....
No matter how challenging it may be, we must first make a decision to be 'DETERMINED TO RISE". WE MUST WANT TO RISE. The angel did not offer his hands to Elijah but he told him to arise. Elijah still had to get up on his own. He still must be determined to push himself and do what he needs to rise/get up! The angle was there beside him as he spoke to Elijah but still Elijah had to get up on his own. God is always beside us but He can't make or push us to rise. This determination must come from within us. If we choose not to continue on and walk, He can't drag us along. YOUR ever strong hands are there for us to hold us the moment we determine to get up. YOU would hold our hands and walk the journey together with us.
Never give up! because we carry the future in us. The moment we stop, there's no more future for ourselves and others too. That is why, you and I need to rise not just once but again and again!!
BE DETERMINED TO RISE!
2. Keep hearing, believing and declaring His words
God speak the word and things happen. God speak the word and all of creation came into existence. Things do happen when we speak the His words. If on the first time we have declared and nothing happen, we must not give up! We must keep on hearing, believing and declaring His words.
"EAT"- It's when Elijah begin to arise, he had to eat the bread and drink the water. Bread and water itself keeps sustaining us. Therefore it is important that we keep feeding ourselves with the proceeding word of God and praying in the spirit. When we begin to keep hearing, believing and declaring His proceeding word and pushing in the spirit that we begin to be strengthened from within us.
Jesus said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven, if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever." He also said that "He that believe in Him as the scripture said,out of of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
It's vital that we keep hearing, believing and declaring His proceeding word because we are building our spirit to be strong. His proceeding word is able to break every of the inaccurate pattern of thinking within us and build in the accurate thinking pattern of God.
Without an accurate thinking pattern us we won't be able to see every of our situation from God's perspective. As we are clouded by our own negative and inaccurate thinking pattern and it would just cloud our vision as well. The more we hear, believe and declare His proceeding word, the spirit of our mind is being changed and the MIND OF THE SPIRIT CAN TEACH US TO OBEY. The moment we are realigned in our mind then our vision/sight is realigned to see our situation as how God sees it.
Elijah was strengthened by that food, that is why he could keep advancing and moving forward. Many times we just see our present situation but fail to see further ahead. We must remember that the journey ahead is still far and long that's why we need need His proceeding word to strengthened us so that we can keep advancing and moving forward.
3. God would speak to us.
His proceeding word would cause to keep drawing closer to Him and begin to aligned our hearts to Him speak to us with regards to our situation. It is interesting that God asked Elijah, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" It looks like Elijah is in the wrong place.
Many times when we draw close to God is because we just want Him to help us to get out/run away from our situation. We tend to give ourselves many excuses just to avoid confronting our situation. Here, God speaks to Elijah and later you would find that He sends Elijah back from the very place he ran away. (1 Kings 19: 10-15)
We must realize that we are not meant to run away from problems. God Himself has put within us this seed "the ability to prevail" within us. A seed is small but its powerful as it can grow into a strong tree/plant that would yield fruits that are bigger than the seed. Such power or ability does a small seed carries within it but yet for it to release its ability it must fall to the ground.
John 12:24 "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a sing seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."
This seed that's within us, must come into contact with trials/challenges, problems and etc in order for it to unleash its power to break out/rise/prevail above it all. All this begins within us. God wants us to begin to realize that all that we need to prevail, He has already put within us. That is why He knows we can prevail and break every limitation and boundaries.
We need to see that our in our original we are meant to prevail against limitation and boundaries. We are not designed to resign in defeat nor are we to run away from problems. We are meant to face every problems/challenges with great courage, knowing that we carry the very seed "ability to prevail" within us and success and victory is for us.
Noticed how this time when Elijah was sent back, his attitude and mindset was entirely different from how he began. Just like Elijah, God speaks to us as He wants us to confront and conquer our situation. As now our mindset, heart and vision is realigned according to His proceeding word, our attitude and approach towards our situation would be entirely different.
We can confront our situation with much confidence and rest in our hearts and mind knowing that victory is in our hands already. We are going in with the power and in the name of the Lord. Noticed how courageous Elijah became. It was because of this ONE man that become the very vessel that God used to raise others that courage to confront and to slain the enemies.
It was because of that ONE small seed that fall to the ground that yielded many fruits so that many lives can enjoy the fruits.We must realize that God wants us to confront and learn how to conquer our problems/challenges so that through our lives, we can also help teach and show others how to overcome and conquer their problems and challenges. So that many more lives can be set free and not overwhelmed/succumbed by their problems or challenges. Our lives carry the very future and hope for many more lives out there.
We are the future. We are ahead is so that we can be a true leader that would set many captives free and lead them into the path of life and liberty in HIM!
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