I’m not sure who needs to hear this… but sometimes it is possible for the next steps forward to be: SLEEP!
Apparently when I was just a newborn, by mum was concerned and literally called the doctor to ask if something was wrong because I slept so much! After she confirmed that I was eating and… eliminating waste… like I needed to, the doctor chuckled and told my mom to be thankful because it sounded like she had a daughter who likes to sleeps!
Boy was he right! But as much as I personally love to sleep, catnap and snooze, the importance of sleep can actually be found in the Bible!!
I’m not suggesting that we sleep instead of doing anything else, ever/forever! Of course, being awake and functional is very important too. However, sometimes the next best thing to do, is actually to stop and sleep, rather than to keep go-go-going.
In 1 Kings 19 we read about an incredibly exhausted Elijah. He’s just escaped from Jezebel who, and I quote: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
“One of them” referring to the 450 prophets of Baal Elijah had just had killed in the previous chapter.
Needless to say, Elijah was terrified because a threat from Jezebel was no empty threat. So, he took off and escaped with his servant. Even after they had reached safety, Elijah left his servant and continued even further into the wilderness on his own and he sat down under a broom bush and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord… Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” (1 Kings 19:4)
God didn’t intervene and say, “Oh don’t say that, Elijah, you are a faithful prophet who has stood by me through countless struggles!! Keep it up!”
The next verse simply says, “Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.”
Now, once again, the Lord didn’t shame Elijah for needing to sleep. God didn’t bring a trumpeting angel by to wake this man up. Instead, an angel was sent to wake him up and to give him food and water. He fell asleep again and, once more, the angel of the Lord came back and woke him up to eat and drink because “the journey is too much for you” (19:7).
The coolest part to me here is that God did not shame Elijah for needing sleep. Instead, God provided food and drink and an angelic wake-up call; twice.
As we read onwards in this chapter, Elijah is strengthened by the food (and, no doubt by his power naps) and he goes on to travel forty days and forty nights until he reaches Horeb, the mountain of God. On this mountain, God appears to Elijah! Not in the great and powerful wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire, but in a gentle whisper.
Somehow, in the span of this chapter, Elijah goes from having had enough and asking God to die… to hearing the gentle whisper of the Lord which revealed to Elijah the succession plan God had arranged for him to live out… to finding Elisha who would become his new servant and successor.
Wow.
Obviously, we cannot give all the credit to his nap at the beginning of the chapter because that is certainly not where credit is due. What we can do, is marvel at the ways the Lord knew Elijah and provided exactly what he needed.
- A broom bush to hide and sleep in
- An angel who delivered freshly baked bread and water
- More time to sleep and rest up for the very long journey ahead of him
- A second angelic visit with more bread and water
- A clear and concise succession plan (19:15-18)
- Practical next steps of where to go and who to anoint as king when he arrived
- A partner to minister with as his ministry was coming to a close
God knew where Elijah was in his journey and ministry. Elijah wasn’t entirely wrong when he said that he had, had enough! God didn’t expect him to keep going on his own… instead, he brought in Elisha. He gave Elijah a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel and he spoke gently to him all along the way.
This same God who cared so lovingly for Elijah is the same God who is with you right now.
The Same God who was unexpectedly gentle and kind with an exhausted prophet of old, is the Same God who extends gentleness and kindness to you today, and every day for that matter!
The Same God who made space for sleep and miraculously provided provisions, is the Same God who loves you exactly as you are – human – and who loves to provide and care for you today.
God,
May we learn to receive your loving care for ourselves in new ways today.
May we be encouraged by these stories of Elijah and be reminded of how excellent you are at taking care of all the details – even when it seems like we’re surrounded by winds, earthquakes and fires.
May we hear your gentle whisper speaking to us this day.
Amen.