(1 Kings 19:7-8) “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.”

The text is a peek into Elijah the Prophet’s life at a period of weakness in his faith in his journey as a servant of God. God corrected Elijah’s physical weakness by supplying his physical needs of food, water, and rest. Then, He commanded Elijah to take a journey of forty days and forty nights to reach his destination. Obviously, what is before the reader of (1 Kings 19:1-21) is a miracle of God. The supply of food, water, and rest types out the supply of Christ for His servants to make the journey of a servant of Christ; this journey is impossible without His supply. The child of God cannot make the journey for Christ unless he has the Supply of God.

The background of the text is Elijah’s fear of Jezebel, who had threatened to take the life of Elijah, as Elijah had taken the life of 850 prophets of Baal (see 1 Kings 18:40). But in chapter 19, Elijah is on the run for his life from the evil woman, Queen Jezebel, wife of Ahab, who is the king of Israel. The question arises: How could the great prophet Elijah be afraid of one evil woman?

There is not one servant of God that does not have to deal with the flesh, where sin dwells (read Rom. 7:14-25). Even though the Bible reveals in (Rom. 6:1-23) that the flesh (or the old man) has been crucified (which means the flesh is not in control of the believer’s spirit after Christ comes to dwell in the believer in regeneration); the believer still has the influence of the flesh in his daily life. Believer, the flesh is alive and active in the regenerated man’s soul. The Apostle warned the Church in Corinth, (1Co 10:12) “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Elijah the Prophet was possibly the greatest prophet of God that has ever been called of God and stood on this earth as a witness of the Almighty Power of God. Yet, the text and the background verses show that even Elijah the Prophet had a war between the flesh and his spirit.

Elijah began to tell God what to do with his life, as one many times does when in a pity party. What Elijah did not know is that God had a great purpose for Elijah yet to do for Him (read I Kings 19:15-21). Praise God, God never commands His servants to carry out His plan without the necessary supply to perform God’s purpose.

Elijah, like so many of God’s servants – when they get tired of serving; when they think they have done enough for God, so let someone else take up the baton and run the race; when they think that there are no more servants serving and standing up for God’s Word and Way – come to say: God, what is the use to go on? I am the only one left that loves you, and stands up for your Name Sake. This attitude many times happens in the servants of God as was present in Elijah’s spirit.

But this devotion is not about Elijah and his spirit of giving up on serving God. But this devotion points to the Supply of God for His servants to carry out His Plan and Purpose. It would help all the servants of God to understand the principle that it is not so much about you; but, about the Glory and Honor of God. As a servant of God, you must always remember – you exist for God and for His Glory. You don’t exist for your glory or for your desires; but, for God. God is not your servant; but, as a child of God, you are God’s servant.

Elijah is the example for the reader. Notice, how God deals with Elijah’s flesh. God supplies Elijah with food, water, and rest. These three things are a must for the servant of God to have physical strength for the journey. But, these three things only deal with the physical. The servant of God must have spiritual strength to make the journey for God; for without these three things he cannot, he will not, make the journey for God to do the work of God. Remember also, God does not need any man to carry out His own plan and purpose for man. However, God has so ordained that He would chose, call, and equip men to carry out His plan and purpose.

First: take note: the spiritual Food that is necessary for the servant to continue is the Word of God. Job said that God’s Word was more than his necessary food. Christ taught His disciples in John 6 that He was the Heavenly Manna that came from Heaven, even the Bread of God (Jn. 6:32, 35, 48-58). Jesus also told the devil in (Mat 4:4) “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” The servant is given the Lord Jesus Christ, The Bread of God, The Word of God, to feed upon. The servant receives the Power from the indwelling Word, Jesus Christ; and from studying the Word to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ; and to be partaker of the Precious Promises of God; and in so doing be a partaker of the Divine Nature of God (2 Peter 1:2-4); to carry out the Purpose of God in the servant’s life. Praise God that He supplies His servants daily with the Bread from heaven; for here is the believer’s strength and understanding (2 Tim. 2:15). His Word is there for the believer every day, and every night, and every morning, for the believer to sit at the Table of God and have the Holy Spirit teach the believer the fuel for the journey that God has planned for the believer.

Secondly: God supplied Elijah with water. The Bible makes clear in many Scriptures that water represents the Holy Spirit (Ezek. 36:25-26; Jn. 4:10-28). Unless the believer, the servant of God, is indwelt and filled with the Holy Spirit; he is without the Power of God to perform the commandments of God. Jesus promised the Apostles that the Comforter would come to dwell in them (Jn. 14:16-20; Acts 1:8; 2:1-39). The Apostle John gives more light on the ministry of the Holy Spirit in (1Jn 2:20) “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things”. (1Jn 2:27) “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” For the believer to perform, he must have the ministry of the Holy Spirit operating in him. To define the ministry of the Spirit is too large for this devotion. However, in summary, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter; the Teacher; the Power; the Leader, Guider; the Protector and Provider; the Convincer of Righteousness and of Judgment and of sin.

Thirdly: God allowed Elijah to sleep, or rest, for two days before he had to make his miracle journey of forty days/nights to meet with God to receive his final instructions. Elijah’s sleep types out the rest and peace the servant must have, to go forty days/nights to meet God. The journey of forty days/nights is a type of the impossibility of the journey to be performed by the servant Elijah without a miracle from God. This impossibility of the journey points to the impossibility of the believer to perform the purpose of God in his life, unless he is a possessor of the Power of God, Jesus Christ. This points to the Peace of God in the believer’s spirit. Since the believer is a child of God, he is a possessor of Peace with God; which means he is in the Position of Grace. But what the believer must have to perform in the power of God, is the Peace of God; which means that the believer is walking in Faith; depending upon God for his every need; knowing that all things are working together for good in his life, no matter what is happening in the believer’s life. He lives daily knowing no matter whether it be in the fiery furnace with the three Hebrew children; whether it be with the Apostle Paul in the Philippian jail, singing praises in the mid-night hour; whether you are suffering the mockery of this present evil world for your testimony of Jesus Christ; whether you are faced with a command of God that you can see no way that you can perform this commandment – the Peace of God means that the believer has an internal peace, or rest, in God and Who God is and Who God is to him, that passes all understanding. This means you can’t figure it out with human reasoning; but, you know and rest in the Sovereignty of God, your Savior; knowing He is Right, Holy, and Just. Therefore, whatever God says, it is true and right, and let the flesh be a liar.

In closing, don’t be too hard on Elijah’s pity party; for every believer at times needs God to come and lift him up and remind him of food (the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God); the water (the Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the believer daily); and the sleep, or rest (the Peace of God – knowing that all is well with his soul in the plan and purpose of God; no matter what the outward circumstances might be).

Yes, the journey of God is impossible without the SUPPLY OF GOD (Gal 2:20) “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”