Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. —1 Kings 19:4-6 NLT
Elijah had pretty much had it. He’d endured three years of no rain, followed by a harrowing day challenging the prophets of Baal to a contest involving whose god is God. He’d seen God’s fire come down on a water-soaked altar and consume the sacrifice—and the altar itself. He’d prayed and prayed for rain to come again, and it did. He’d seen great victories over those years, but he was tired. Then, after successfully demonstrating that Israel’s God was indeed God … the queen of the land paid no attention and instead declared her desire to kill him. Even the miraculous display of fire from Heaven was not enough to convince her and many others that God was real. It was all too much for Elijah. So, he ran away and sat down under a single broom tree.
He was done. He wasn’t going to take his own life, but he really wanted God to just bring him home. You can read about all this in greater detail in 1 Kings 17-19. Elijah had worked hard, done well, and was all used up. So, he took a break and went to the wilderness. He did not abandon God; he cried out to God in his time of need. And then? Well, Elijah slept. He just took a long nap and rested his weary self. When an angel woke him up to eat? He simply ate. And went back to sleep again.
Sometimes, you just need to stop. God knows this. He’s wired us to work hard and rest well. At Sweet Selah Ministries, we’ve created rhythms of work and rest. One of our favorites is the one we are about to enter now:
No blogs, podcasts, Tuesday Talks, social media posts, or online Bible studies are offered in July. We would love for you to browse our website and our social media sites and catch up on what you might have missed if you wish, but we won’t be creating new content this month. In light of our upcoming retreat, when all of us will be hard at work serving the ladies who attend, July Rest Month is more important than ever. Oh, how we love to serve. Oh, how we love to stop! It’s all part of God’s overall creation plan. Our God established patterns of rest and work all the way back in the Garden of Eden when He worked six days and stopped on the seventh. We believe healthy living involves both work and rest, as God shows us in His Word. We love the work, and we love the resting.
We hope that you will enjoy past blogs, podcasts, Tuesday Talks, and such this month and that you will also have an opportunity to take some time to stop and rest and admire the beauty of the world around you! We wish you days of napping and eating amidst the busier moments of life. Have a wonderful July, and we will be back refreshed and with fresh content in August.
Father God, how I thank You for wiring us for both satisfying work and beautiful times of rest. Lord, give us eyes to see our family and friends as the unique blessings they are as we focus this month on relationships and quiet moments with You. Bless this ministry, Lord, in its productive times and in its fallow times, when we stop and when we regroup. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
You are loved,
Sharon
Sweet Selah Ministries
Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service
Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)
Donate
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Click over to our Donation page … and thanks.
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