Mar | 26 | When You Bust a Gut.......

Dream Word – REST

1 Kings 19:3,4 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" NKJV.

When You Bust a Gut....


Like I said, I had just arrived back from a visit to the U.S.A. Since 911, travel is no longer any fun and pulling four bags with a total weight of around 150lbs from the circulator of a baggage claim and then carting it to your next destination can be harmful to a man in his late 40’s, especially after 8 hours on a plane bent double and eating bad, very bad, beef lasagne. So anyway, that accounts for my pain of today. I won't tell you where, but only a man gets pain there! Ouch. As far as I can tell, rest and maybe anti-biotics (?) are the only remedy for this kind of over exertion.

Now, believe me when I tell you there is a spiritual parallel here, for I know that spiritual over exertion can lead to the same bow-legged walking pain, can lead to reproductive incapacity, can lead to embarrassment and if left untreated, it can also lead to painful depression, even a depression that tends to thoughts of checking-out without even exchanging your chips. This was Elijah’s problem you see, despite a few thousand unbent kneels to Baal, he was nevertheless, the only one to be bending his knees in lifting the heavy and dead weight of a backsliding Israel.

It is amazing just how many ailments, physical, emotional, mental and even spiritual, that can be cleared up with rest, relaxation, good food and medication, provided nothings busted of course! If that happens you need surgery and then rest, relaxation, good food and medication. Be careful what you are lifting out there fella. If you can get help, for apparently there are always a thousand strong backs somewhere, then get it! If however these one thousand are well hidden, them make sure, you pace yourself, train yourself, and if necessary get yourself a truss!

My jocularity belays some very serious stuff here though. Spiritual over exertion can so drain you, so empty you, so exhaust you, that the consequence of ills it can bring upon you, can fill that tired, painful and aching emptiness with such death, that it can destroy your ministry, destroy your testimony, and kill you dead. Believe me, I have seen it happen and here tonight, it was happening to Elijah and frankly, he didn’t give two hoots.

If your spiritual exertion has led to pain, then you had better rest up. I tell you, it’s a sin to let the lack of a few days regular rest rob you of further weeks, months and even years in the ministrations of your God.

Listen: - So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen's equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant. 1 Kings 19:21 NKJV.

Pray:- Lord, strengthen my back, give me the humility to ask for help and then Father, when I bust a gut, help me rest, even renew my youth like the eagles and then give me also this same raptors keener sense of sight, to view the coming prosperous years that will spring from this my rest. In Jesus name I pray, amen.