Morning Worship

ENCOURAGEMENT OUT OF DISCOURAGEMENT

  1 Kings 19:4-18       

INTRODUCTION:

þ 1 Kings 19:4-18 is the account where Elijah was very exhausted for being a servant and prophet of God. He is the only one telling the people, especially the king about God’s commandments and will pertaining to their wrong doings.

þ Before he experienced exhaustion in his service to God, he was able to accomplish great things, exhibiting the power of the true God. He was able to prove to King Ahab and the people in his kingdom who the true God is. He defeated more than 400 prophets of the king who worshipped their own god, Baal. Though having this victory does not mean his not subject to any thing a human could experience like stress and weariness.

þ Like Elijah, we Christians are not exempted of experiencing what he has experienced while serving God. Discouragements are inevitable and at some point of our lives, we will be able to encounter different kinds of it that tempts or urges us to stop in the course of service and life being a follower of Christ. Some of the causes of discouragements are stress, exhaustion, failure, fatigue, hopelessness, hindrances, persecutions and no visible result in what we are doing. But the decision to stop is not in our hands anymore. As long as the Lord gives us breath,  we must keep on moving forward until He says stop, then we stop.

þ In 1 Kings 19:4, Elijah appealed to God that he wanted to rest from his job being a prophet. He wanted to die but God did not granted what he wants because He has His own timetable and plans for him. God wants him to continue what he commanded him to do. The same goes to us, we should continue what God wants us to pursue. In our lives being a Christian, we would definitely encounter hardships and discouragement even though you are faithfully serving God.

þ God wants us to face the discouragements that are in our paths, it should not be escaped. Our Lord and Savior would not be able to fully use us if we’re going to run away from these things. Elijah committed this kind of mistake, suffering from discouragements, he isolated himself and sat down at the Juniper tree, requested to God that he wants to die [1 Kings 19:4]. While he was sleeping God sent an angel who touched him to say "Arise and eat” and provided him food and water to eat and drink [1 Kings 19:6]. He ate and drank but lay again. For the second time the angel asked him to arise and eat because the journey ahead is too great for him [1 Kings 19:7]. He went to the mount of Horeb and found a cave and lodge in there. Though Elijah listened to what the Lord has said to Him, he went back to the things he have done. We tend to be like him, instead of doing consistently the commandments of God, we would choose to do what we want to do.

þ Elijah was discouraged because the nation of Israel has forsaken their covenant to the Lord, thrown down the altar, slain prophets, want him dead also and he thought he was the only one left in the Lord’s side [1 Kings 19:10]. He has forgotten the capabilities of God that we also do commit in the course of our lives being God’s children. We are able to prove God’s power over things and circumstances in some point of our lives but tend to forget it, His omnipotence, by doubting, having fear, and not trusting our all to Him. We do not let God show His power because of our presumptions.

þ God revealed to Elijah the fact in 1 Kings 19:18, that he is not alone, there are Israelites that did not bowed down to Baal. He corrected Elijah’s preconceptions.

þ As followers of Christ, we must have patience, endurance and readiness to sacrifice in this life.

POINTERS:

1. We need to rest for a while but not for life.

2. We need to condition our physical well being.

   þ God wants us to take good care of our health.

3. We need to reassess or contemplate our past experience in connection to our purposes and goals.

4. We need the touch of God.

   þ Touch of encouragement to move forward

   þ Touch to awaken us- chastisement

5. We need also the encouragement of God

6. We need to hear the voice of God

   þ through His written words, teachings and preaching for His words is spirit and life [John 6:63].

Conclusion:

Our lives do not end not because of our accomplishments but because God wants us to keep on going and perform until we finish our course that he has set before us.

We are responsible for our ownselves, don’t blame others. We must not push our own will to God but do what He wants us to do.