Then he did what many people do when depressed. He decided to take a long nap! Some of the seats in the pews today will remain empty because some people will choose sleeping in misery over Sabbath Rest! Some will stifle the Holy Spirit who will come to arouse them this morning and miss the experience of God’s gift of peace that comes as a result of worship. The Spirit will say to them what was said to Elijah, “Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!”

Sisters and brothers, this journey called life CAN and WILL be overwhelming at times. In fact, the life we call Christian was never meant to be lived by our own power or on our own terms. It is when we find ourselves in the crucible, when we might be most apt to feed our despair, that we must feed on our Savior ~ the Living Bread that came down from heaven!

No manna we come up with ourselves will ever be enough to sustain us. We need Jesus Christ, Himself. Mysteriously, the food given to the prophet Elijah by the angel, strengthened and sustained him for forty days and forty nights in the desert! Jesus offers us something greater to sustain us for all our days and all our nights!