Reading Portion: 1 Kings 19:11-18
We have seen that Elijah had conveyed his stand before the LORD in 1 Kings 19:10. But, the LORD was silent about what he had explained. The LORD answered, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” The LORD was exposing the place where Elijah had failed, apart from answering his complaints. When he heard the words of Jezebel and the LORD wanted him to come into His presence. But, Elijah failed to spend time with the LORD and hear from Him. Sometimes, GOD speaks nothing about what we are asking for, or He may ask us to do something that we least expect. It is to put us back on the right track. When people arise against us, when things go wrong, we need to draw power from GOD and His word. In 1 Samuel 20:1, we see David fleeing to Naioth-to Samuel, when things were going wrong in his life. Divine intervention gives us power to move on and to be fruitful for Him. There may be a period in our life when we feel like giving up, and when we crawl back into our shells of loneliness, GOD speaks.
GOD wants to reveal Himself to us so that we will move by His power. If we want to be used by Him, we ought to obey His commands. Come to His presence! In His presence, the depressed heart finds joy and the disobeying heart is put on the right track. We need GOD’s guidance in every walk of our lives.
When Elijah obeyed the LORD, the LORD revealed Himself to Elijah. There were strong winds, there was an earthquake, and there was a fire and the LORD was not in any of those three elements. A silence after the uproar of nature instills a fear in all of us. At that point, He speaks – gently!
We may be going through difficult situations where we may expect GOD to break open the doors ahead of us, to shake the foundations of the situations we’re facing or to break the chains that have bound us with fire, and thus, a quick deliverance. But His intervention is beyond human thoughts and a small whisper can heal and release us from our captivity! Sometimes a small whisper can heal and lead us out of bondages than breaking the same with might, because inner healing gives us the courage to face our uncertain days.
When Elijah heard the voice, he wrapped his face in his mantle and came out to the mouth of the cave. He took a step to hear the word from GOD. When GOD reveals Himself to us, be ready to receive what He has to speak to us.
Again, the LORD asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Though GOD knew what was on Elijah’s mind, the LORD wanted to convey something better than what was on Elijah’s mind. Though we have no plans about our future, though we are confused about where we’re heading, though we are helpless and lack courage to move on, GOD speaks to us. Divine intervention gives us direction on what we should do and it gives us the strength to move on.
The LORD gave a command to Elijah in the following verses, 15-19:
“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. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 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. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
GOD gave Elijah an assurance at the end of it, that he was not alone in the ministry. GOD always keeps a remnant for His kingdom. As the Psalmist says in Psalm 12:7-8, “You, O Lord, will keep them; You will preserve him from this generation forever. The wicked strut about on every side when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.”
GOD will keep us safe in this generation, and the word of GOD gives us the assurance to move ahead with courage. Dear reader, if you lack the motivation to move on in your ministry, or if you feel like giving up on everything; come to the holy ground of the LORD. Let Him speak over your life and move on with courage.
