Strength for the Journey
1 Kings 19:1-8; Isaiah 40:28-31
Whether a man carries a briefcase or a lunch bucket, he needs “strength for the journey.”
Elijah had been in hiding for three years when God called him to face the Baal worshipers on Mount Carmel. Because he had been waiting on the Lord, Elijah was able to “mount up with wings” and overcome the enemy.
In fact, 1 Kings 18:46 informs us that the prophet was able to run and not be weary as he raced ahead fo the king’s chariot!
But when it came to that day-by-day walk, Elijah discovered that the journey was “too great” for him. He became discouraged and wearied and finally had to quit.
Only God can give a man strength for the journey. Not the journey of a lifetime, or even the journey of a week. “As thy days, so shall thy strength be,” God promises us in Deuteronomy 33:25. As the hymn writer put it,
Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.The strength for the journey comes when we wait before the Lord at the beginning of the day. It comes from meditation and prayer, worship and surrender. It comes when a man spends time in God’s Word before the day begins. Yes, a man needs strength for the journey, and God will graciously meet that need–if you let Him.
(Copyright, Warren W. Wiersbe. First appeared in Thoughts for Men on the Move. May not be copied or reproduced without express written permission of the author.)
Dr. Warren Wiersbe (1929-2019) was an internationally known Bible teacher, author, and conference speaker. He graduated in 1953 from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. While attending seminary, he was ordained as pastor of Central Baptist Church in 1951 and served until 1957. From September 1957 to 1961, Wiersbe served as Director of The Literature Division for Youth for Christ International. From 1961 to 1971 he pastored Calvary Baptist Church of Covington, Kentucky south of Cincinnati, Ohio. His sermons were broadcast as the “Calvary Hour” on a local Cincinnati radio station. From 1971 to 1978, He served as the pastor of Moody Church in Chicago 1971 to 1978. While at Moody Church he continued in radio ministry. Between August 1979 and March 1982, he wrote bi-weekly for Christianity Today as “Eutychus X”, taught practical theology classes at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and wrote the course material and taught a Doctor of Ministry course at Trinity and Dallas Seminary. In 1980 he transitioned to Back to the Bible radio broadcasting network where he worked until 1990. Dr. Wiersbe became Writer in Residence at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids and Distinguished Professor of Preaching at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. In his lifetime, Dr. Wiersbe wrote over 170 books—including the popular Be series, which has sold over four million copies. Dr. Wiersbe was awarded the Gold Medallion Lifetime Achievement by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).
