Sermon – 1Kings 19:4-8 Get Up and Eat

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon – 1Kings 19:4-8 Get Up and Eat

August 9, 2015

Two weeks ago we heard the important biblical truth that the food we eat comes from God. We found the biblical principle that we should be thankful to God for this blessing. And we engage in the biblical practices of thanking God for our food in prayer before each meal and of giving a tithe, 10%, to the church. Last week we affirmed this biblical truth and found a new principle that we should be satisfied with what we have. And so we engage in the biblical practices of sharing food with others and keeping a Sabbath rest. Today we will once again reaffirm the biblical truth that all of the food we eat comes from God. And again today we will find a biblical principle and biblical practices we can follow.

As we begin this morning, I want you to continue thinking about a basket of summer vegetables. Now, as we move through August, some of the vegetables are a little overripe. The corn has some worms in it. The squirrels have eaten some of your tomatoes, and blight is threatening the rest. This symbol of God’s provision for us is giving way to fear that God may not be there when we need him. Even the great prophet Elijah feared that God would not be there when he needed God the most. We will get to this, but first let’s pray.

May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.

The prophet Elijah was running for his life just days after his greatest triumph. Queen Jezebel had brought her faith into Israel. She had convinced her husband King Ahab to worship Baal, the weather god. Each year they ascended to the high places in the kingdom to pray to Baal to send rain to make the crops grow. But year after year the drought continued and life became desperate.

Elijah proposed a test. They would all go up to Mount Carmel. The prophets of Baal prepared wood for a fire. So too did Elijah who covered his wood with water. The prophets of Baal prayed to their weather god for lightening to bring fire to their wood. Nothing happen. Then Elijah prayed to the Lord God of Israel who sent lightening from heaven and consumed the wood with fire. With this spectacular success Elijah put the prophet of Baal to the sword.

When King Ahab returned to the palace he told Queen Jezebel what happened and she flew into a rage. She ordered the immediate execution of Elijah. He was wanted dead or alive.

So Elijah ran. He fled south to Judah. After crossing the southern boarder he continued south to Beersheba when his companions left him. Elijah continued alone towards the south into the dessert for another day. There, alone, tired, exhausted, and at the end of his rope, Elijah asked God to end his life. Just days after his greatest triumph, Elijah seemed like a complete failure.

Haven’t we all been there? Things are going along so well. You are on the top of the world. And then all of sudden the bottom drops out and you lose everything. Maybe it happened in a doctor’s office where a loved one received some bad news. Maybe it happened in your boss’s office when you were told the company couldn’t afford you anymore. Maybe it happened in a letter when the one you loved says he loves someone else. Whatever it was suddenly a good day turns awful. That’s what’s happening to Elijah when we hear this story.

1Kings 19:4-8  ⁴ 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.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ 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.

⁷ 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.” ⁸ 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.

And so even though Elijah thought he had come to the end of his usefulness, God blessed him with bread from heaven and the water he needed to sustain his life. This reaffirms the biblical truth that we have seen over the last two weeks. God provides us with the food we eat. And we find another biblical principle. Even though we may see no way out of our circumstances, God still has a plan for us.

No matter where we are in our life’s struggles God is using us for his purposes. Maybe you are retired and wondering what if anything God wants you to do. Maybe you are a university student from Eastern Europe and wondering how God will use you this summer in Ocean City. Maybe you are on vacation with you family and wondering what God is calling you to do this summer. God has a plan for all us no matter our age of where we are from. God is ready to use us in some way, but how?

Before God would reveal to Elijah what his role would be Elijah had to first engage in two biblical practices. The first biblical practice was that Elijah had to spend forty days in the wilderness. Moses spent forty days in the wilderness before receiving the Ten Commandments from God. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness preparing for his ministry. What both Moses and Jesus did in the wilderness was to pray.

Prayer is a biblical practice you do in order to know what God is planning for your life. This church is entering into a period of prayer as it begins its search for a new pastor. Each of you should be spending some time in prayer each day to discern God’s will in your lives.

The main reason I went to Fuller Seminary was to spend an extended period of time in prayer to discern God’s call in my life. I had reached a point when I thought that God no longer desired me to run the business I had operated for many years. I knew God wanted me to expand on the Bible teaching I was doing in church. But I didn’t know where that would lead. I spoke with my pastor about going to seminary as a way of discerning what God was calling me to do. We decided to start the process of becoming a Presbyterian pastor with the presbytery, and then start a three year program of discernment while working on my Master of Divinity. Three years later, after much prayer, my presbytery and I were certain that God was calling me into pastoral ministry. And here I am.

So to find God purpose in your life I urge you to enter into an extended period of prayer and discernment. You should be praying every day asking God for guidance. This is the first biblical practice. Let’s now look at the second.

The second biblical practice Elijah was to engage in was to ascend Mount Horeb. Mount Horeb was the mountain Moses had ascended to receive from God instructions for life as summarized by the Ten Commandment. By sending Elijah up this mountain God was telling Elijah to return to Israel’s Holy Scripture. By reading Israel’s Bible, Elijah would uncover God’s plan for his life. This practice is open to us as well. God speaks to us about His plan and purpose for us in the pages of scripture. That is why it is so important to read the Bible every day. One way to do this is to follow the Daily Lectionary in the bulletin each day this week. There are other ways to read the Bible each day. Select the way that works for you and let God reveal to you his plan and purpose.

God spoke to me one time. I was in church and complaining to him about many things. Like Elijah I seemed to be at the end of my rope. And God sent an angel to me with these words, “It’s in the book.” And I instantly knew that I needed to study the Bible more. I picked up a pew Bible and began to look through it. The next week I was in a Sunday School class for the first time as an adult. I joined a Wednesday night Bible study. I went on a retreat. And my life has never been the same.

This will happen to you as well. Engage in the biblical practices we have been talking about today. Spend a considerable amount of time in prayer discerning where God is calling you. And read scripture every day to see how you fit into God’s purpose and plan for the world.

And so today we have reaffirmed the biblical truth that all the food we eat comes from God. As we eat food we should be thankful for what we have received, satisfied by the abundance God provides, and discerning of God’s purpose in our lives. To do this we engage in biblical practices. We thank God by saying grace before each meal. And we thank God by bringing our offerings to the church. We become satisfied with what God gives us by sharing food with others and keeping a Sabbath rest for ourselves. And we discover God’s plan and purpose for us by a practice of regular prayer and Bible reading.

And this brings us back to our basket of summer vegetables. Yes the lettuce has wilted a little in the August heat. But always remember that this basket is a symbol that God provides for you the food you eat. Be thankful for abundance of food God provides for you. Remember to thank God for what you have received by saying grace before meals and supporting your church. Don’t complain but be satisfied with what God gives you. Learn to be satisfied with what you have by sharing with others and remembering to take a Sabbath rest. And be assured that God sustains you with food because He has a plan and purpose for your life. Discover this plan and purpose by praying and reading the Bible every day. Let's pray.

Father God, we thank you for the bountiful food you provide for us. Help us to see the plan and purpose you have for our lives. We will come to you each day in prayer and Bible reading asking you to reveal to us the plan and purpose for our lives that you spoke before we were born. We will also approach you daily in prayer asking you to reveal to us the pastor you have already chosen to lead this church. This we pray in your son's name and in your Spirit. Amen.