WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE – JOE?

I Kings 19:1-16 records a tremendous story about the prophet Elijah.  What is interesting to me is the fact that this story comes on the heels of Elijah’s great victory at Mount Carmel.  Although the man of God had won a great victory, the enemy wasn’t finished with him yet.  He won a battle, but it was by no means the end of the war.  Isn’t that how it is in our lives?  We conquer a mountain in our lives one day only to feel that the mountains are crushing us the very next.  It seems to be a story that is repeated over and over again in the life of the child of God.  It is for that very reason that you and I can’t afford to lay our armor down.

In Chapter 18, Elijah openly laughs at (and rebukes) the prophets of Baal, and says “The LORD he is God: the LORD he is God.”  Now in chapter 19, we find this same warrior for God hiding under a juniper tree.  That shouldn’t surprise us though, because if the truth be told, we would all have to say we’ve spent more than our fair share of time hiding under our own juniper tree(s).

Elijah, fresh off the heels of a great victory, is now wandering around in the wilderness for 40 days because of misplaced priorities.  This was, by the way, the same wilderness that the children of Israel wandered around in for 40 years.  And both Elijah and the children of Israel had wandered in the opposite direction God had intended for them.  But I’ll tell you one thing that did not change between chapter 18 and chapter 19, and that is the fact that “the LORD He is God:  the LORD He is God!”  He did not change one bit.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever!

The wonderful thing about God’s grace, mercy and long-suffering is that he did not lose sight of Elijah.  He knew that Elijah was discouraged, alone and even battered.  But what Elijah didn’t realize is that God could see things that he couldn’t see.  So, when Elijah was feeling down, when his fire had died down and his faith was wavering, God put on a little display of His power.  He caused the Wind to blow, the earth to quake, and the fire to fall.

But then God did something completely different, something completely unexpected – He replaced the voice of nature with a “still, small voice.”  I would venture to say that there are many today that are looking for the wind to blow, and the earth to quake, and the fire to fall, lighting to crash and thunder to roar – but not many are listening to the “still, small voice.”

It almost appears that the LORD is saying to Elijah, “Elijah, seems to me that as long as you can feel the wind blow, the earthquake and summons the fire to fall from heaven; as long as you can experience an emotional ride – then every things alright.  But Elijah, you would do well to remember that it is not always going to be that way.  Your walk is not always going to be a picnic.  But, Elijah, if you just put your trust in me, you will have all you need.  I got your attention with the wind, and the earthquake, and the fire falling – but I was not in them.  However, I was in that ‘still small voice‘ you heard.  Remember Elijah, my word is ‘quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.”

I wonder today if God’s Word is enough for us?  When we feel like our world is falling apart, when we’ve done every thing that we can do, and keep coming up short, when God doesn’t remove the mountains in our lives or remove the throne from our flesh, is the “still small voice of God” enough for us?

Once God got Elijah in place that he would listen, God asked him a simple, straight-up question, a question that I believe God wants to ask you and I.  The question is this, “What doest thou here Elijah?”  It was that question that caused Elijah to wrap his face in his mantle (an open sign of repentance), and then (and only then) could Elijah hear God say “GO.”  “Elijah, go and anoint Elisha.”  You see folks, we’re not in this alone.  There are others depending on us, looking up to us, counting on us.  God is still speaking to us today, the questions is, are we listening?  When is the last time you’ve heard the “still, small voice of God?”  I’ll finish with this question:

“What are you doing here, (INSERT YOUR NAME)?