在托爾金的小說《魔戒現身》中，比爾博．巴金斯（Bilbo Baggins）持有魔戒長達60年，並開始感受到持有這枚具有黑暗力量的魔法戒指所帶來的影響。他的心靈逐漸被這枚戒指侵蝕而十分沮喪，他對魔法師甘道夫說：「不知道為什麼，我覺得力量薄弱，左支右絀，不堪重負。你知道我的意思吧，就像拿一點點奶油去塗一大片麵包。」因此他決定離家尋求安寧，希望找到一個祥和靜僻之處，不必被許多親友窺探。

托爾金所寫的這段故事讓我想到舊約裡一位先知的遭遇。以利亞在對抗眾多假先知之後已筋疲力竭，非常需要休息，但卻還要躲避皇后耶洗別的追殺。這使得他身心交瘁，甚至請求上帝讓他死去，說：「耶和華啊，我受夠了」（列王紀上19章4節，當代譯本修訂版）。他睡著之後，天使叫醒他，讓他起來吃喝。接著他又睡了一覺，醒來後又吃了天使為他預備的食物。就這樣，以利亞恢復了精神體力，可以步行40天，走到上帝的山。

當我們覺得筋疲力盡時，也可仰望上帝得著更新的力量。我們要照顧身體，但也要祈求上帝賜下盼望、平安，並使我們得安歇。就如天使看顧以利亞那樣，上帝也會與你我同在，帶來更新（參閱馬太福音11章28節）。

In J. R. R. Tolkien’s book The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo Baggins starts showing the effects of carrying, for six decades, a magical ring with dark powers. Weighed down by its slowly corrosive nature, he says to the wizard Gandalf, “Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread.” He decides to leave his home in search of rest, somewhere “in peace and quiet, without a lot of relatives prying around.”

This aspect of Tolkien’s story reminds me of an Old Testament prophet’s experience. On the run from Jezebel and wrung out after his battle with false prophets, Elijah badly needed some rest. Feeling depleted, he asked God to let him die, saying, “I have had enough, Lord” (1 Kings 19:4). After he fell asleep, God’s angel woke him so he could eat and drink. He slept again, and then ate more of the food provided by the angel. Revitalized, he had enough energy for the forty-day walk to the mountain of God.

When we feel scraped thin, we too can look to God for true refreshment. We might need to care for our bodies while we also ask Him to fill us with His hope, peace, and rest. Even as the angel tended to Elijah, we can trust that God will impart His refreshing presence on us (see Matthew 11:28).