The Lord Appears to Elijah
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
After spending a night in the cave Elijah needed to hear from God. All of us who want to fulfill God's purpose in our lives need to hear from God. The Bible says that the word of the Lord came to Elijah. God spoke to Elijah. It was a question. We need to allow God, through the Holy Spirit, to ask us the question. You can put your name in here because this question befits everyone who God has called, but especially to those called to bring community together. "What are you doing here, ______your name_________?"
What was Elijah's reply? This is such a typical reply for anyone who is looking for support from people. He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” You too may be surprised! If you look for support from people, if you try to validate your call and your vision and your mission from the consensus of people, you will be utterly disappointed. You need to hear from God. Stop looking around for the gauge of success. Don't measure the will of God by the reactions of people. God says “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
We look for God in the "great and powerful wind" that tears mountains apart and shatters the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord iss not in the wind.
We look for God in the "earthquake", but the Lord is not in the earthquake.
We look for God in the "fire", but the Lord is not in the fire.
Stop looking for confirmation of your call in people's reactions. Stop looking for it in signs and wonders.
"And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave." Where will you hear God's voice calling you? It is found by standing still and by covering yourself in the anointing of God. Listen to the gentle whisper. Listen to the still small voice. And trust it. What God was about to tell Elijah would change everyone's world very soon but it came in a a gentle whisper. What are you doing here, _____your name_____?
Are you still looking for results to validate your call? To validate what God has called you to do? Elijah was. He continues to bemoan the rebellion of those who do not believe. Those who want to kill him. God says, “Go back the way you came," Sometimes we have to go back to where God first called us. Maybe it was in our bed like Samuel, or in a desert like Moses, or hiding away like Gideon. Maybe it was at an altar call. God called you for a great purpose He has. Go back to that place.
The whisper said: You will go and anoint a new king over Syria. You will go and anoint a new king over Israel.
And Elijah, you will go and anoint your successor. Elijah, you are going to prepare a new generation of leaders. It's not about you.
God knows what he is doing. He told Elijah "Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him."
If God called you to plant a church he has people you know nothing about. You may not see them now, but they are there.
Read the whole chapter.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings+19&version=NIV
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
After spending a night in the cave Elijah needed to hear from God. All of us who want to fulfill God's purpose in our lives need to hear from God. The Bible says that the word of the Lord came to Elijah. God spoke to Elijah. It was a question. We need to allow God, through the Holy Spirit, to ask us the question. You can put your name in here because this question befits everyone who God has called, but especially to those called to bring community together. "What are you doing here, ______your name_________?"
What was Elijah's reply? This is such a typical reply for anyone who is looking for support from people. He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” You too may be surprised! If you look for support from people, if you try to validate your call and your vision and your mission from the consensus of people, you will be utterly disappointed. You need to hear from God. Stop looking around for the gauge of success. Don't measure the will of God by the reactions of people. God says “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
We look for God in the "great and powerful wind" that tears mountains apart and shatters the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord iss not in the wind.
We look for God in the "earthquake", but the Lord is not in the earthquake.
We look for God in the "fire", but the Lord is not in the fire.
Stop looking for confirmation of your call in people's reactions. Stop looking for it in signs and wonders.
"And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave." Where will you hear God's voice calling you? It is found by standing still and by covering yourself in the anointing of God. Listen to the gentle whisper. Listen to the still small voice. And trust it. What God was about to tell Elijah would change everyone's world very soon but it came in a a gentle whisper. What are you doing here, _____your name_____?
Are you still looking for results to validate your call? To validate what God has called you to do? Elijah was. He continues to bemoan the rebellion of those who do not believe. Those who want to kill him. God says, “Go back the way you came," Sometimes we have to go back to where God first called us. Maybe it was in our bed like Samuel, or in a desert like Moses, or hiding away like Gideon. Maybe it was at an altar call. God called you for a great purpose He has. Go back to that place.
The whisper said: You will go and anoint a new king over Syria. You will go and anoint a new king over Israel.
And Elijah, you will go and anoint your successor. Elijah, you are going to prepare a new generation of leaders. It's not about you.
God knows what he is doing. He told Elijah "Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him."
If God called you to plant a church he has people you know nothing about. You may not see them now, but they are there.
Read the whole chapter.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings+19&version=NIV