Faithfulness is Exhausting
A Long Obedience: Part 2
1 Kings 19:1-18
October 18, 2026
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He longed for his own death: “It’s more than enough, Lord! Take my life because I’m no better than my ancestors.” He lay down and slept under the solitary broom bush.
Then suddenly a messenger tapped him and said to him, “Get up! Eat something!” Elijah opened his eyes and saw flatbread baked on glowing coals and a jar of water right by his head. He ate and drank, and then went back to sleep.
~ 1 Kings 19:4-6
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I love the story of Elijah hearing the still small voice of God, not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire, but in the stillness, in the solitude, in the silence. Maybe it’s just my introverted self celebrating the fact that God isn’t only found in high energy worship concerts or massive revival gatherings with thousands of people. Or maybe it’s something deeper that goes beyond introversion and extroversion. Maybe there’s something to the idea that God’s first language is silence, and that into the silent void all creation was spoken into existence.
There is silence in the womb. There is silence underground where seeds germinate. There is silence in a library where ideas are slowly absorbed and taken to heart. There is silence around the deathbed when words cannot contain the holy mystery of a loved one passing through the veil of eternity. It is the law of all nature that great and wondrous things tend to emerge from the creative work that happens in silence and stillness.
But Elijah’s life was anything but silent and still. He was literally running for his life. His world, like ours, was noisy, chaotic, and filled with fear. How do we find such stillness when we are always on the run?
For Elijah, the answer came in his own collapse. When he couldn’t take another step he cried out to God to let him die. But God sent a messenger to wake him, just long enough to eat and drink, and then to let him go back to sleep. Twice he received the sustenance he needed before being invited to rest again.
Elijah’s work was not over, and neither is ours. But the best of our work flows out of a place of rest. This is why God gave us Sabbath. This is why Jesus spent time in silence away from the crowds.
When was the last time you felt invited to rest? What if a good meal and a nap is actually a spiritual practice?
Weekly Practice: Rest
This week, enjoy one meal that you truly love and take the time to savor it. Linger at the table instead of rushing back to work. Enjoy the gift of nourishment and of delight. Make some time to rest, and see how much better you feel when you awaken into all that God has prepared for you.