THE JOURNEY OF LIFE
THE JOURNEY OF LIFE
We usually hear it said that “Life is a school”. Which is quite true actually. (Please see the article of 13/09/2016 – The Next Level).
Every stage of Life is also a journey. A journey with barriers, borders and boundaries of obstacles, opposition and risk. A journey for which we must be prepared and equipped. As children our parents prepared and equipped us for this journey, which we are now doing for our own children. We provide for them, nurture them, ensure they are well fed and well brought up, we give them the gift of quality education and teach them values like gratitude, honesty, integrity, respect, patience and so on. At some point though we must start to let them know it will not always be that way. They must begin to assume responsibility for themselves. It is then that they will be able to stand firm because of the preparation they had. Basically we have “trained them up in the way they should go: and when they grow up, they will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 KJV
How do we then prepare and equip ourselves for this journey? I will explain by telling you about someone I know who had to prepare for a journey. His name is Elijah and here is what happened.
“And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.” 1 Kings 19:7 KJV
This was the prophet Elijah trying to flee from Jezebel after she had threatened to kill him. He was petrified and exhausted so much so that he ran into the wilderness for his dear life, even contemplating death. “…….. and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” 1 Kings 19:4b KJV. Of course God did not grant his wish to die. Far from that. Rather God got Elijah ready for a journey. And He provided food mysteriously for him. After eating, Elijah went off on a long journey and his sustenance was the food he had been fed earlier. So what food is available to us now as we prepare for our journey? What food will sustain us through our journey of life?
“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” John 6:35 KJV
Jesus is the bread of life and Jesus is also the word. So what is there for us to eat? Eat bread: Eat the Word. After all, we have been warned “That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Luke 4:4 KJV
So Elijah ate and he was equipped with the strength he needed for the journey ahead. And it was after this that God spoke to Elijah and gave him instructions on what to do. I charge us then that we should “eat” by immersing ourselves in the word of God, reading it, studying it, meditating on it, digging deep into it so that we will be equipped for the journey of life and not be tempted to give up when the barriers and obstacles begin to spring up. Because, they will.
It is in the Word that we will remain grounded and never wavering in the face of all manner of opposition. It is in the Word that we will be encouraged
I pray that as we “eat” of the “bread of life” who is also the Word, that we will receive instructions to guide us through the journey of life.
Oluyinka Ego-Martins ©