The new year

Wow, it's 2012. A new year full of new experience to fill our memories, nice or just plain rotten. Wasn't it only a month ago when Christmas decorations were hung up to lit the skies and the tunes of Santa and Jesus filled up the air. Now, all I hear is "GONG XI FA CAI!" Hard to believe that Chinese New Year is coming too soon.

And as many of us brace for what 2012 will bring forth into our lives, I'm sure fear/stress must have hit us somehow or rather. Some of us may wonder how we might be able to cope with all the activities we are taking up or even how we might be able to balance between the mental, emotional and physical demands of life. And all we want to do is say to Life "GIVE ME A BREAK WILL YA! AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" before you may reach the pinnacle of craziness.   

Fortunately, God can provide special strength for us - just as He did for Elijah.  In 1 Kings 18: 41- 19:8 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2018:%2041%20-%2019:8&version=NLT), after Elijah's showdown with Baal, Elijah executed 450 false prophets. He then climbed Mount Carmel and prayed for the ened of a 3-year drought (1 Kings 18:1) . That's when "the Lord gave special strength to Elijah" (1 Kings 18:46). This strength enabled Elijah to run all the way to Jezreel, about 25 miles away.

And if you see in 1 Kings 19:4, Elijah prays:

 "I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

God knows our limits. He is God after all. And He can supply strength in any way He chooses. From words of encouragement, ministry help or guidance from the Holy Spirit. I don't know. In Elijah's case, God sent an angel to provide with bread and water - twice.

Also, it is important to pray to God and cast our anxieties unto the Lord. To surrender our worries and lay our worrisome woes at the cross. To basically, trust God.

God provided strength for Elijah's ministry demands. Even David found strength in God in Psalm 18: 1-6.(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2018:1-6&version=NLT)  Personally, God has in many ways strengthen me whether I was anxious or even tired.

God can sustain us as we help others - with strength to spare.