November 17, 2020 CAC Living Water Devotional : Topic – REST, DON’T QUIT

By | November 17, 2020

November 17, 2020 CAC Living Water Devotional : Topic – REST, DON’T QUIT

 

Read previous CAC Living Water Devotionals here

LIVING WATER CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

Tuesday, November 17, 2020.

REST, DON’T QUIT

Read: 1 Kings 19:1-21

1 King 19:1-21 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,

while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

Then he lay down under the bush 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 some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then 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 ate 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 a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.

Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.

Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.

Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.

Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

MEMORISE:

If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small (Proverbs 24:10).

EXPOSITION

All creatures have an exhausting period/time. The time when tiredness, fatigue, burn out, discouragement, etc set in. A time man wishes not to continue, or go further. A moment when situations seems unpleasant and wind blows harshly. The time man is discourage and nothing seems right in further efforts.

This is not peculiar to you alone, but to everyman even the powerful—high and mighty. Quitting at this crucial time of life is not the way out but a little rest and trust in God for inner strength is the right decision. Rest to gain the lost energy is a better quitting never wins while the winners never quit. To win the battles of life and be victorious in all things, quitting is not one of the options. Successful men of all ages only knew when to rest but not to quit. Rest is time to re-energize, re-strategise and intense evaluation for a re-launch.

God admonished Prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19:5:Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” A rest time is a moment new ideas, inspiration, direction and methods are discovered and tough beneficial decisions are taken. Elijah, after the rest, received a new order from God.

We rest to re-fuel, re-new and re-fire. Taking a day off duty might not be a bad idea. Anyone who sees rest not option may be forced to retire—quit. Our saviour, on many occasions, took time out from the multitude and His disciples, to solitude to renew His strength for the task ahead.

In the face of numerous challenges and tiredness in the assignment at hand why can’t you take a rest and seek the face of God on the next line of action. That could be all you need for a next great launch—the breakthrough that changes the old equation which brings a new course. Even the strongest people get tired at times. But God’s power and strength is our Source of strength when we are exhausted, we can pull upon Him.

PRAYER POINTS

1. Lord, I won’t turn back from faith till I see Jesus face to face, help my decision in Jesus name.

2. Father, renew my strength, re-fuel me, empower me and energise me in this Christian race.

3. Pray that God will grant more grace to the ministers of the gospel and encourage them, so that they will not grown weary in discharging their duties for God.

EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Ezekiel 2-4

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