Strength For The Journey
And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
- 1 Kings 19:7-9 ESV
It has been a difficult journey for all of us—hanggang ngayon na patuloy pa rin ang impact ng COVID-19 sa atin. Mahigit isang taon na natin itong pinaglalabanan. This journey through the pandemic has been challenging and for some, discouraging. More than ever, kailangan natin ng lakas para mapagtagumpayan ang journey na ito.
Thankfully, we have a faithful God who leads us through the journey. Take the case of the great prophet Elijah. After a monumental victory against the prophets of Baal, Elijah finds himself depleted, running away from the furious pursuit of Jezebel’s men. Halo-halong emotions ang pinagdaraanan ni Elijah: takot, gutom, pagod. Bukod sa rito, napasailalim si Elijah sa matinding depression. Elijah was so discouraged that he wanted to die.
It was at this point of his journey that God ministered to Elijah. 1 Kings 19:7-8 says:
And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
- 1 Kings 19:7-8 ESV
Tired from the journey, Elijah slept. When he woke up, an angel appears and instructs him to arise and to eat for the punishing journey that is ahead. At ito nga ang kailangan ni Elijah para sa journey na ito: kailangan niya ng pahinga, pagkain at inumin para ma-restore ang kanyang strength.
Hindi pa tapos ang journey natin laban sa COVID-19. Lahat tayo, we all need strength for the journey until it is over. For some of us, it has been great and difficult to handle. Bukod sa naging material challenges na dinala ng COVID-19, marami rin sa atin ang nakaranas ng depression at matinding discouragement. Ngunit sa mga ganitong pagkakataon natin makikita ang pagkilos ng Panginoon. It is during these times when God provides strength for the journey! And with the strength that God provided, Elijah made it through. He reached Horeb, the mountain of God. So to you that have been weakened and discouraged by the pandemic, take hope in the strength that God brings!
“Our heavenly Father, sustain us for the challenging journey that COVID-19 brings. Strengthen us physically and make us steadfast spiritually. We desire to overcome. We want to finish well on this journey. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
