Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Wednesday;
This is often a week of transition to SUMMER for many people. Two months from now the Paris Summer Olympic games 2024 will be underway! And in case you had forgotten, both the Republican National Convention (July 15-18) and Democratic National Convention (August 19-22) will happen in summer 2024! Summer vacations; weddings and graduations; career launches/changes and retirements; and so much more summer activity reminds us that life is about to get even busier!
So here are two important questions for all of us:
1. Have you learned HOW to hit the ‘pause’ button with your life, get away from the busyness, turn off the noise?
2. How do you find a quiet place, some quiet time and LISTEN to God’s gentle whisper voice and the voice of your own heart?
Yesterday I left you walking through the wilderness with the old prophet of God Mr. Elijah. Beersheba, the southernmost town in Judah, is in our rearview mirror as we walk along with Elijah, and out there somewhere in the wilderness is the famous ‘mountain of God’, Mount Horeb also called Mount Sinai. (Ex. 3:1) I see no indication that God gave Elijah specific instructions to go to Horeb, but only that as ‘the angel of the LORD’ awakened Elijah from his slumber in the shade of tree the angel said: “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” (1 Kings 19:7)
May I ask, do you sometimes feel that the journey of life you are trying to walk is simply too much for you? Is your job too demanding; or are some of your relationships too draining; or is your health deteriorating; or is your financial situation tenuous; or do you feel under intense attack by the dark kingdom?
The words of the angel to Elijah again affirms one of God’s character traits… God is Omniscient, it means Almighty God knows and understands EVERYTHING about you and me! And God is not limited by TIME so God can see your future as clearly as if it was all happening right now in real-time! So for Mr. Elijah, God knew the long, long walk to Horeb was far more than he could accomplish alone and that’s why ‘the angel of the LORD’ came to nourish, encourage and guide Elijah!
I can’t tell you exactly where Mount Horeb/Sinai is in the Arabian Desert. Many Bible scholars and archeologists have various theories. I have a book called “The Gold of Exodus” which makes a very good case for a particular location on that desolate peninsula. The record tells us Elijah walked 40 days to reach Horeb and finally upon arrival he found a cave in which he could hide from the scorching sun and cool night winds. (1 Kings 19:8,9) I have often wondered about the conversations Elijah and God likely had during that 40 day journey as Elijah reflected on his life as a prophet of God and the remarkable experiences he had being God’s spokesman during some difficult times in Israel.
I wonder about the conversations you and I have with God these days and what journey we are on as we head into summer 2024? What does God see is ahead for both you and me over these next weeks? Does God see us prepared or is there more God wants to do to bolster our faith or deepen our understanding of God or strengthen our resolve or refine our weapons for warding off attacks from the dark kingdom?
Was it in that cave that first night? Was it sitting at the mouth of the cave watching a spectacular sunrise? When was it the word of the LORD came to Elijah as recorded for us in 1 Kings 19:9 “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Now please don’t let that question from God confuse or frustrate you! If God had led Elijah there and God and Elijah had been having conversation along the way, surely God didn’t need to ask this question, did He?
As is almost always the case, I find God’s questions of us are not for us to give God information He does not know, but rather for us to search our hearts and see if we truly understand our own hearts, our motives, our desires. Was Elijah still running in fear even though Queen Jezebel and the town of Jezreel were perhaps 250 miles away? Was Elijah uncertain about his role and assignment from God now that rain had come to Israel; and the prophets of Baal and Asherah had been slain; and the people had declared their intention to seek the God of Israel? (1 Kings 18:38-46)
Elijah’s response to God’s question is telling: “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.” (1 Kings 19:10) Clearly Elijah felt all alone. But remember Mr. Obadiah, King Ahab’s Chief of Staff who was a devout man of God in the government and had courageously hidden 100 bold men of God in two caves, and also fed them daily? (1 Kings 18:3,4) Remember the widow of Zarephath and her son? (1 Kings 17:15,16)
Somehow Elijah’s fear of wicked Queen Jezebel was clouding his vision of reality and under cutting his trust in and relationship with the LORD, the God of Israel! Has that ever happened to you my friends? Have the painful circumstances of life or the noise and stress of life affected you in the same way as Elijah?
God had a vision clarifying response for Elijah: “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Oh my, did a shiver just run up your spine, my friends? How would you respond, how would you prepare, if you had an undeniable conviction that the God of the Universe is about to pass by you?
We have the record of one other man encountering God on this mountain called Horeb/Sinai. Not once, not twice, but 8 times God and Moses met on Mt Sinai. Three of those times Moses was with God 40 days & 40 nights on this mountain!
* Exodus 24:15 – Ex. 32:16 God’s instructions to Moses about Covenant living & worship.
* Deut. 9:18,19 Moses spends 40 days interceding for Aaron & the Israelites because of their golden calf worship
* Exodus 34:1-29 Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights with God receiving the second tablets inscribed by the finger of God and hearing God’s renewal of His covenant with His people.
I think Elijah knew he was about to have an experience very similar to that of Moses when the Glory of God passed by and Moses was enveloped in the cloud of God’s glory. (Exodus 34:5-10) Do you remember when Moses came down from that mountain, his face glowed as he radiated the power of the awesome Glory of God? (Ex. 34:29,30) How does a person, any person, anywhere in the world, prepare for a life changing encounter with God?
For Elijah he moved out from the mouth of the cave and stood on a firm place on the side of Mount Horeb and waited. What was about to happen? The record says: “Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD…” (1 Kings 19:11)
Did Elijah crouch down to escape this terrifying wind? Did Elijah run or crawl back into the cave for protection from this tornado-like wind? Was this wind so ferocious that stones and rocks were sucked up from the mountain side and flung like pebbles? Let’s hide in the cave with Elijah and watch the fury of this God sent tornado and let’s ponder the power of God displayed for us in earthquakes or volcanoes or tsunamis or hurricanes or blizzards or ice storms or lightning storms?
What is the response of your mind and heart when watching an unleashing of the unlimited power of God? What words do you use to express to God your awe, your fear of Him? I urge us to do so now, and tomorrow we’ll return to this mountain with Elijah to hear what God said.
Here’s a song which comes to us from the Caribbean as worshipers express their gratitude for the power of God, especially found in the matchless name and victorious person of Jesus!
Today’s Scripture: 1 Kings 19:7-11.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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