Scraped Butter

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

I'm Amy Boucher-Pye, and I titled our reading Scraped Butter. In J.R.R. Tolkien's book The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo Baggins starts showing the effects of carrying, for six decades, a magical ring with dark powers. Weighed down by its slowly corrosive nature, he says to the wizard Gandalf, Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean, like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. He decides to leave his home in search of rest, somewhere in peace and quiet, without a lot of relatives prying around. This aspect of Tolkien's story reminds me of an Old Testament prophet's experience. On the run from Jezebel and rung out after his battle with false prophets, Elijah badly needed some rest. Feeling depleted, he asks God to let him die, saying in 1 Kings 19 verse 4, I have had enough, Lord. After he fell asleep, God's angel woke him so he could eat and drink. He slept again and then ate more of the food provided by the angel. Revitalized, he had enough energy for the forty-day walk to the mountain of God. When we feel scraped thin, we too can look to God for true refreshment.

We might need to care for our bodies while we also ask him to fill us with his hope, peace and rest. Even as the angel tended to Elijah, we can trust that God will impart his refreshing presence on us. Our passage from scripture today is from 1 Kings chapter 19 verses 1 through 8. Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with a sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, 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. Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.

When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. I have had enough, Lord, he said.

Take my life, I am no better than my ancestors. Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, Get up and eat.

He looked around and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you. So he got up and ate and drank.

Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. Join me in praying. Strengthening God, we look to you for true rest and peace. Please help us to release our burdens to you and to place our hope in you as you fill us with your presence. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Thank you for listening. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.