1 Kings 19:11-13
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces 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; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Our scripture this morning reminded me of the old gospel song, “It’s me, it’s me oh Lord standing in the need of prayer. Not my mother, not my father, but it’s me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer “. As we gather as a congregation of believers in united fellowship this morning, truth is, we all have very individual and private needs. While we earnestly pray with, and support one another, there’s no doubt each of us has a request (or two) we are seeking a response from heaven on. And trust me, heaven has the right answers. But only if we are willing to look in the correct places.
Even though Elijah is considered one of the greatest prophets of all time, he found himself in a state of depression and anxiety that only God could address. I don’t know if you’ve been there, but there’s a place of deep despair that a person can reach that seems impossible to rebound from. And when you’re in that place, you need a very private and personal response from the Lord. But the irony of being in a place of despair is the more you focus on your problem, the further you get from your deliverance. Very often the solution to what’s ailing you, begins with you.
Elijah had done great and wonderful works in the name of the Lord. He destroyed the false prophets that warred against the people of Israel and established himself as a formidable force in the Kingdom. But in all the success, he apparently lost his truest identity. He had so many victories, somehow he forgot he was not the reason for success. He forgot he wasn’t responsible for any of the honor he enjoyed. He forgot he was simply a lowly servant of the Lord.
And it’s hard to be critical. He served God with distinction. He called fire from heaven. God used him to bring great things to pass. But being “used” by God is just that. God reserves the right to command his servants to do great and wonderful exploits, while relegating them to very mediocre and mundane lives. There are occasions he will have his beloved soldiers serving the destitute while being hungry themselves. Many a minister has counseled and prayed for others, while their own household was falling apart. Never assume that the sunshine you receive today is an indication of the things to come tomorrow. Somewhere on the horizon, storms are approaching. Are you ready?
Elijah was looking for an answer from the Lord. A great wind came and tore through a mountain, an earthquake shook the mountain, a fire consumed the mountain and yet the Lord was not in any of those events. Truth is, God wasn’t in the mountain at all. Ultimately, a small still voice ignited something in Elijah. And it was in that small voice that Elijah realized the presence of God. It’s not that God is never in the wind, earthquake or fire, (because we read where he was at times in them all) but in the case of Elijah, his answer came differently.
Dear Child of God, when you’re in trouble you wanna know the voice of God for yourself. Don’t trust he’s always in the shout and dance. Don’t always rely on him answering in the teaching and preaching. He may or may not come through a song, testimony or corporate prayer. Sometimes he comes to you privately in a small still voice, asking “What Are You Doing Here?”
God Bless
