The Courage to Depend upon God
I Kings 19:1-15a
Elijah had exhausted himself serving the Lord. Read chapter 18 of I Kings, and you will find Elijah being incredibly strong in his work as a prophet. He had confronted the 450 prophets of the Canaanite God Baal on Mount Carmel and challenged them to ‘dueling altars.’ They had prepared their altar, but instead of lighting it, had called upon Baal to light it. Nothing happened. Then Elijah had water poured over the Lord’s altar, and prayed for the Lord to ignite it. The altar was completely consumed by fire. Then he had proclaimed to Ahab the King that the drought that had lasted for over three years was going to be broken by rain, and it was. But being the conduit of God’s power and work in that way is exhausting.
Thus it was that shortly thereafter he fled from Israel and went to the mountain of God. It was there that God found him in the cave and spoke to him in the still, small voice after the earthquake, wind, and fire. And as God spoke in that voice, Elijah was strengthened and challenged to return to Israel and to return to the work to which God had called him.
It is a real temptation, friends, to fill our lives with activity, even church activities, that keeps us busy from sun up to sun down, day after day. And yet, without the time for God’s still, small voice to be heard we cannot sustain our efforts. I don’t think any of us have called down fire from heaven or have commanded rain from the clouds lately, but we find all kinds of things to fill our time, and those things are all incredibly important.
But, if we don’t stop and spend time alone with God we won’t hear the still, small voice that gives us strength for whatever lies ahead. Take time each day to listen to God.
…take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord!
Amen.
Joe Shreve
I Kings 19:1-15a
Elijah had exhausted himself serving the Lord. Read chapter 18 of I Kings, and you will find Elijah being incredibly strong in his work as a prophet. He had confronted the 450 prophets of the Canaanite God Baal on Mount Carmel and challenged them to ‘dueling altars.’ They had prepared their altar, but instead of lighting it, had called upon Baal to light it. Nothing happened. Then Elijah had water poured over the Lord’s altar, and prayed for the Lord to ignite it. The altar was completely consumed by fire. Then he had proclaimed to Ahab the King that the drought that had lasted for over three years was going to be broken by rain, and it was. But being the conduit of God’s power and work in that way is exhausting.
Thus it was that shortly thereafter he fled from Israel and went to the mountain of God. It was there that God found him in the cave and spoke to him in the still, small voice after the earthquake, wind, and fire. And as God spoke in that voice, Elijah was strengthened and challenged to return to Israel and to return to the work to which God had called him.
It is a real temptation, friends, to fill our lives with activity, even church activities, that keeps us busy from sun up to sun down, day after day. And yet, without the time for God’s still, small voice to be heard we cannot sustain our efforts. I don’t think any of us have called down fire from heaven or have commanded rain from the clouds lately, but we find all kinds of things to fill our time, and those things are all incredibly important.
But, if we don’t stop and spend time alone with God we won’t hear the still, small voice that gives us strength for whatever lies ahead. Take time each day to listen to God.
…take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord!
Amen.
Joe Shreve
No comments:
Post a Comment