A Second Wind
One day I saw an elderly woman at the supermarket who was struggling to stay on her feet, as she was overcome with exhaustion and about to pass out. A manager quickly came to her aid and brought her a chair. She may have been experiencing heat stroke or was just physically drained because she was up in years. He offered her a glass of juice, and she gladly received it. Moments later she made a remarkable recovery, regaining her strength and composure within minutes. I thought to myself, "That's amazing how she suddenly got her second wind."
While driving home I heard the Holy Spirit say, "I am about to release a second wind to those in the body of Christ who are spiritually lethargic, and have lost their zeal." There are those who had a passion for the Word of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but they got worn down by the relentless pressures of life. They will run again and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). Their strength will be restored, and their youth will be renewed. This second wind will bring revival and restoration.
I looked up a "second wind" and found that it is believed to be caused by the body's release of pain-relieving endorphins. When you regain your second wind, your body's system will come back into balance and your respiration will be regulated as it takes in more oxygen. Your strength and stamina will return, making it possible to continue something that was becoming an effort to do. It's like being wide awake again after a period of drowsiness. Metaphorically, a second wind describes a renewed sense of purpose, motivation, or creativity in various aspects of life. It's a renewed vigor, especially after a time of feeling exhausted or drained. (Photo via Creative Commons)
Trust in God's Ability to Sustain You
When I read these definitions, I thought about Elijah outrunning the chariots. There were times in Elijah's ministry when he had to depend on God to sustain him. He prophesied that there would be no rain for three years and six months (1 Kings 17:1; James 5:17). Then the Lord sent him to the brook Cherith, where he provided water and sent ravens to feed him. Then Elijah had a confrontation with the prophets of Baal and invited them to a challenge to prove that their gods were false. After he called down fire from heaven, all the false prophets fell on their faces and declared, "The LORD [Elohim], He is God" (1 Kings 18:39 NKJV, brackets mine). He then defeated them all. Later, he outran Ahab's chariots.
Elijah endured many battles, but the Lord rescued him every time. After Ahab told Jezebel what Elijah did, she threatened to kill him, and he ran for his life. Some of you are running from a powerful calling because you feel that you don't have the strength to face your adversary. You are hiding because you have become discouraged and fearful. But when the Lord has a powerful calling on your life, he will equip you with strength and courage, and you will overcome every obstacle, and endure every trial.
Elijah went into the wilderness and prayed to the Lord to take his life. As he slept under a juniper tree, the Lord sent an angel to him who brought him a cake of bread and water:
"And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, 'Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.' So he arose, ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God." (1 Kings 19:7–8 NKJV)
After all that happened, he went into a cave. The Lord asked him what he was doing. He said that he was fearful for his life. The Lord told him that there were 7,000 other prophets in Israel who did not bow their knee to Baal. Elijah then moved on as the Lord instructed him and began to train Elisha. (Photo via Wikipedia)
Let God Revive, Restore and Recharge You
Many of you are weary from the intense spiritual warfare, and you need a second wind. It may be a burden for you to read the Word of God or pray. Some of you are distraught by these constant battles that the enemy has been using to try to take you down. Jesus our Lord has a master plan for each one of us. He wants to revive you just as he did when he sent an angel to Elijah. Don't grow weary in well doing, for in due season you will reap if you faint not. "I AM sending you a second wind to restore and replenish you," says the Lord.
"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." (Psalm 27:13 NKJV)
"But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31 NKJV)
"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9 NKJV)
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Elaine Tavolacci
A Word in Season
Email:Â Elaine@awordinseason.info
Website:Â www.awordinseason.info
Elaine Tavolacci resides in Staten Island, New York. She has been a student of the Word for twenty-nine years. She has a prophetic gift as well as a ministry of encouragement, which teaches the body of Christ to walk in the fullness of what the Lord has called them to. She teaches others how to be overcomers in every area of their lives and understands the power and authority that Jesus has assigned to them. Her ministry, "A Word in Season," has been an encouragement to others for nine years. She has learned the transforming power of the Word of God and encourages others that nothing is impossible with God.
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