JOURNEY 201¦1 XTRA ‘Obviously ...’

‘But he himself [Elijah] went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life …” Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank…’ I Kings 19:4-8

You would not think that God would need to send an angel to remind you to eat. It seems that would be obvious. Yet, when we are focused on the journey, there are several journey necessities that can go overlooked – obvious actions we somehow miss as we get busy with life. I’ve been there. In fact I was there just this week. I allowed myself to get so busy encouraging and serving others that I neglected myself – resulting in a feeling of overwhelmed anxiousness and frustration. And so here are some ‘obviously, obvious’ journey pointers – for you and me:

EAT – by all means, do not get so preoccupied that you forget to take in a meal. This is dangerous physically but can be lethal spiritually. Take time to read and study your Bible and also take time to glean wisdom from some good Christian teachers and then apply to your life what you've learned. If you are unable to make it to a conference, there are plenty of ministries that have their services online. This can be a good supplement to your local ministry and I have listed several quality ministries listed on this blog page for your reference.

SLEEP – more important than a posh hotel or suite is the need to have a spiritual place to lodge. Understand that there is no other place better than the presence of the LORD. ‘The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.’ What does it mean to run ‘into’ the name of the LORD? It is when you no longer lean or stand upon Him – but you envelop yourself in His presence and the power of His name - like we did with El Elyon last week. Do not neglect or be afraid of resting. It is not a sign of weakness or laziness (unless you do it all the time). It is wisdom!

When my children were babies, there would be times that they would fight taking a nap. They were EXHAUSTED! Yet they would cry and fuss and squirm – all to avoid sleeping. And I would try to help them understand that they would be so much happier if they would just TAKE A NAP. And that is EXACTLY how it is with us at times. As angels look on from up above they question God, ‘My LORD, what is wrong with her? Why is she sad and fussing and crying and cranky?’ And Daddy simply says, ‘She is over-tired … she needs a nap … once she gets some rest, she will be fine.’ Anybody out there 'over' being tired all the time?

Understand that resistance is futile:

• In Psalm 127:2 He tells us, ‘It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.’
• In Exodus 31:15 we are reminded, ‘Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD.’
• In Proverbs 3:24 He tells us, 'When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.'

He knows how we are built! After all, He made us and He knows that He wired us with a need for periodic times of rest and relaxation.

FUEL UP – with gas prices the way they are, many people are avoiding the pumps unless absolutely necessary. However, it is essential that you not allow yourself to run on fumes. Keep your tank at least half full, refueling on His Word and these other helpful resources:

• Music – fill up with songs that glorify Him and get your focus off of circumstances and onto the Lord. Buy some CD's, load up the iPod, listen to a Christian radio station. Fill your house, your car and your mouth  with the sounds of worship
• Relationships – interact with other people during the journey. Constant isolation is a tool the enemy will use. Know that there is an energizing factor that comes from being able to give and receive encouragement. It is just plain fun being around godly people - and laughter can do the heart good like a medicine.

You hear a song and it reminds you of a verse you read that morning - and you know that God is speaking to you. You connect with a friend, they share something that God has been revealing to them and it resonates with what He has been speaking to you - and you feel the gentle press of the Holy Spirit. They serve as a sort of turbo-boost to what you have been feeding upon. 

PARK & GET DIRECTION – there will be times when you have to park. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it is a good way to take a rest and/or get your bearings so that you can continue on the journey. Just be careful about where and how long you park.

• Lot parked near Sodom, and later found himself parked in Sodom – a decision which ultimately turned out to be very costly to him personally.
• On my son’s campus, they have a two-hour parking limit and if you stay there too long, you can be ticketed or even towed.

It is important to understand that if you park longer than you should and in an area where you should not park, it could become very costly. So keep that in mind!

And while you are parked, check the map and your GPS. Now, I know maps are somewhat antiquated in this age of technology. However, as pertains to spiritual matters, you will need to check the map [Bible] AND your GPS [Guaranteed Providential Support/God Positioning System]. If you get lost, they will get you back on track. If you consult them often enough, you won’t get lost in the first place.

KEEP MOVING – just remember that there is no quitting until you reach the destination … which is heaven. That means that you cannot check out of this journey until He checks you out. After you have eaten and slept, when you have fueled up and asked for directions, when you have taken a short break … Keep it Moving!

'I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself... I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.’ Philippians 3:10-16 MSG

When you get hungry ... Eat!
When you are exhausted ... Sleep!
If you are feeling sluggish ... Fuel-up!
If you are lost and need a short break ... Park & Get Direction!
And if ever you feel like giving up and quitting ... Keep Moving!

Obviously ... obvious