Daily D – 1 Kings 19:3-9
1 Kings 19:3-9 Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life. When he came to Beer-sheba that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there, but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree.
Suddenly, an angel touched him. The angel told him, “Get up and eat.” Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of the Lord returned for a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. He entered a cave there and spent the night. Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (CSB)
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Sometimes the best remedy for what ails us is a snack, a nap, and the uninterrupted presence of God. Now strikethrough the word Sometimes.
There’s a good chance I miss the eclipse today. Our flight is scheduled to take off about the time everything goes dark. Sudden thought: Is it safe to view the eclipse from a jetliner if you’re sitting by people who do not have glasses that make you look like a dork?
We will spend several days with pastors a couple of states away. We are on a two-year journey with them intended to deepen their walk with God. There will be snacks. There will be naps. We are trusting God to speak to every heart and to draw every person closer to himself. Pray with us to that end.
Another group of pastors gathered for the same retreat in another state not long ago. An attendee confessed he had been ready to lay everything down, to quit in ultimate fashion not long before the gathering. Then others declared they too were at the same breaking point. It was at this point that these leaders experienced what Elijah so long ago experienced. The refreshing breeze of all God’s goodness blew through their lives.
Do you need a snack, a nap, and uninterrupted time alone with God?
My coworker Becky likes to take time away whenever necessary for a DAWG Day. DAWG is an acrostic. It stands for Day Alone With God.
When’s the last time you took a personal retreat to strategically read the Bible, to pray without an Amen, and to listen, really listen to what God is saying? In the words of the old Wolf Brand Chili commercial, “Well, that’s too long!”
Maybe you’ve never done this and don’t know how to do it. There is no playbook for such a retreat. Simply clarify your questions for God and do so in full confidence that when we give God our full attention, he meets us there.
Like Elijah, sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is have a snack and a nap. Relaxed muscles perform better. Relaxed hearts and minds hear and respond better.
These retreats we lead here and around the world are called re:FOCUS. The best way to refocus your life is to refocus on the one who gave it and the one to whom it is destined to return. Know God. Know God’s peace and presence. Know God’s purpose for you, yes you!
Grab your calendar and schedule a DAWG Day. Make a short list of big questions for God. Find a place where you can experience solitude and silence. Trust God to show up. Tell him everything on your heart. Listen deeply and expectantly.
Don’t be surprised if God asks you a question like he did Elijah. Take a look at verse 9:
He entered a cave there and spent the night.
Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him,
“What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Again, God asks the same question in verse 13 after a powerful wind, a mighty earthquake, and a blazing fire: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
God did not ask because he did not know. He wanted Elijah to say the silent part aloud. Don’t be afraid to tell God the silent part. He already knows. When we speak the unspeakable to him, he gives us a new life-shaping purpose.
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I will take a DAWG Day as often as necessary and as soon as possible.
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Our Father, thank you for extended time alone with you. Thank you for reshaping and redirecting our lives. Thank you for nourishment and rest. Thank you for renewing us whenever we need it. Amen.
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