When someone tells you to “Get up and eat!”, ‘it means the food is prepared and ready to eat. “Get up and eat.” may also imply that the beneficiary may be fast asleep whilst the food was being prepared, or simply unaware that a meal is being prepared for him.

It may also suggest that the benefactor has been busy preparing a meal for someone who is tired and sleeping or just helpless but famished.

Sometimes, life’s challenges can hit us so hard that we become so helpless to lift ourselves up to face it.  It takes a person with inner poise and a strength of character to be self- motivated in the face of severe hardship or depression.

Many people easily give in or give way to depression when confronted with seemingly hopeless situations. Some do impulsively make wrong assumptions and conclusions that it isn’t going to ever get better. Such attitude has led many to engage in despicable acts or at worst commit suicide.

Mr. Elijah was a very powerful and influential man whose words were always divinely ordered. He stood vehemently against the idolatry and injustice in the land, and was well respected for his uncompromising lifestyle.

He soon became a very powerful figure, an oracle of God, and a threat to the government of the day. He was feared, and dreaded by evil perpetrators, who neither acknowledge God or respected human rights.

King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel had a deep hatred for Mr. Elijah, and sought different avenues to get rid of him. But Elijah survived many attacks and assassination attempts, and continued to be a beacon of hope.

One would think that a powerful man who is so much feared and respected would continue to dominate the scene, and spread his positive influence on the citizens. But, for a moment, Mr. Elijah allowed himself to be wearied by moral depression, occasioned by threats from the Government.

He simply took to his heel, wishing just to die, when he got an inkling that he was going to be killed! He was downcast, and lost the strength to fight on. He gave in to the challenge, and was ready to die anyway.

He cried, “Enough is enough! God, take my life—I’m ready to die!” Amazing how a once brave man, by reason of the hardship never saw any justification to stay alive . He didn’t think life was worth living again. He never thought survival was worth the while.

Exhausted, famished and devastated, he got a call from an angel who instructed him to get up and eat because his journey of life was far from being over (1 Kings 19:3‭-‬5).

By divine intervention, Elijah got his strength back, and his motivation was rekindled. His vision was sharpened and his courage was restored. Then he stood up, ready to face life’s battle again, and empowered to face his fears.

When you are down and out, and it seems there’s no more chance to succeed, God gives you a life-line. He never fails to help the helpless who trust in Him.

Perhaps, your failed expectations have become a reoccurring decimal which have drained your mental capacity to believe in your ability to excel, I challenge you to get up and eat!

This is the time to summon up courage, rekindle your zeal and revive your hopeful expectations. Time, age, position is not a barrier. It may look so bad now, but if you can rise up from the ashes, and stretch your optimism, you can still win.

Dear friend, it is far from being over. There’s hope in your tomorrow. Get up and eat! You’ve got a long journey ahead of you. Don’t give up yet. Face your fear. Stretch yourself, push forward. Life’s beautiful!

You are winning! Yes, we are winning!

Also read: “THE PRESENT IS THE KEY TO THE PAST; BUT THE PAST IS NOT THE PRESENT.”

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