“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” (Isa 40:29).

Driving the 500 km to Bangalore from home is an enchanting experience; a hundred km is through three consecutive tiger reserves, where we find herds of elephants, deer, monkeys, and wild buffaloes on both sides and sometimes crossing the road. The signs along the road say not to feed the animals, not to stop on the way, and not to get out of the vehicle at any time. There are no toilets, shops, or petrol pumps along this stretch. So, I fill the tank before we enter the forest area, but if you ignore the tank, wait two or three hours locked inside the car until the forest department turns up with the towing truck.

This is a parable of life. Sometimes, we run out of the motivation to live, hope to pull on, and when the headwind gets stronger, we crash land.

But the Lord promises that life with him will never run out of fuel on the run. He is the constant supplier of strength to the weak. When our struggle demands us to expend all our energy, when we grow weak and unable to make another step, he will auto-recharge us.

Elijah had a strenuous mission. Taking on the prophets of Baal alone and standing up to the blood-thirsty queen Jezebel had sapped all his energy for life. When he was ready to hang his boots, resting under a broom tree, the angel woke him up, fed him and commanded him to resume the race (1 King 19:1—8). And he did.

The Lord never disposes us when there is no power left in us. But he recharges us and helps us to complete the journey; we only need to cling to his promises.