1 Kings 19:11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave.
The prophet Elijah, through his dramatic demonstration of the LORD’s authority and power, inspired repentance in the people of Israel, calling them to exercise His judgment on idolaters by slaying 450 prophets of Ba’al and 400 prophets of Asherah on Mount Carmel. Yet this spiritual victory was followed by a severe demonic reprisal through the woman Jezebel. Her words so terrified Elijah that he literally ran for his life. The conflicts in the spirit realm are truly awesome. The moment of Elijah’s greatest victory became the very context for his greatest temptation, as he was devastated, discouraged and depressed to the point of hopeless despair by Jezebel’s vengeful threat to kill him.
But the Lord had not abandoned His man. In the midst of Elijah’s flight, YHVH sent His angel to feed and encourage the prophet for his forty-day journey from Beersheva to Mount Horeb, where he undoubtedly expected protection at the mountain where Moses had first encountered YHVH.
Completely alone, Elijah takes refuge in a cave, where the Lord finds him and initiates a conversation which seems almost casual; “What are you doing here, Elijah?” The prophet begins to pour his heart out, complaining about his isolated desperate condition. God’s reply is another dramatic demonstration, but this one is different and personally tailored for Elijah’s discouragement. Whirlwind, earthquake, and fire are all devoid of His Presence. ….but there, in a still small voice, the prophet hears His Lord…
Perhaps unrepentant sinners and backslidden believers require dramatic demonstrations, catastrophes, and devastating judgments to awaken their attention to God’s presence and will. But we who love Him are invited to a more intimate relationship; one which takes place in privacy and quiet listening. This weekend could be a good time to renew yours…
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]F.B. Meyer once said, “The education of our faith is incomplete [till] we learn that God’s providence works through loss…that there’s a ministry to us through the failure and fading of things. The dwindling brook where Elijah sat is a picture of our lives.
Most people reading this passage tend to focus in on the fruit that is produced. Okay…But a closer look will reveal that the Lord is really focusing on the tree. The fruit merely demonstrates the quality of the tree. We have all encountered this: there are trees whose fruit is healthy and delicious, and there are trees whose fruit is scarcely edible, or even useless.
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on in every person. He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’. One is evil — it is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good…
There’s an interesting story about the great English actor, Macready. A respected preacher once asked him, “I wish you would explain something to me.”
We live in a day and age that everywhere we turn, there’s a “self-help” theory. Books, videos and dvds, websites, world-renown speakers, you name it — all dedicated to helping us “feel good about ourselves”. Yet somehow, still many of us struggle with self-consciousness, even as Christians!
Early in the last century, sculptor Gutzon Borglum gazed at the cliffs of South Dakota’s Black Hills. As any great artist would, He saw what no one else could the sculpted faces of US presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. After 14 years, he finally completed his project — Mount Rushmore.
Counselors, encouragers, and people who offer care to others often encounter those whose past failures threaten to define them and hinder their development, healing, and sanctification. Our enemy capitalizes on our failures and regrets, pressing home the current influence of what we could have, would have, or should have done, if only we were wiser, more courageous, honest, or godly.