A Still, Small Voice

O. T. #802  "A Still, Small Voice"
July 29, 2016
1 Kings 19-Part 4
And after the earthquake,  fire, but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.  1 Kings 19:12

LET IT GLOW

Experience as a teacher of children has taught me that they listen more attentively to not a loud or yelling voice, but to a gentle, calm voice. To which did Elijah responded?

Elijah went 200 miles to the mountains, walking 40 days and 40 nights. He spent one night in a cave. However, the Lord asked Elijah, "What are you doing here?" He proceeded to answer that he had zealously served God, but Israel had broken their covenant (to worship only God and obey His commands) and tore down His altars. And he was the only one faithful follower left.
Then God told Elijah to go out and stand before Him on the mountain, and he obeyed.

What did Elijah experience there?

• The LORD passes by,
• and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain.
• It was  so strong that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind.
• After the wind was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
• After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.
• After the fire, there was a gentle whisper, a still small voice.
• When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
• Again, God asked Elijah what he was doing there. Elijah gave the same answer.

What are I doing here, in a cave of I-could-not-care-less? Why do I feel alone in being a faithful servant of the Lord? I know that is not the truth.
 What are you doing there, friend, in your cave, whatever kind it is? Have we hidden in a cave, running away from our troubles, from those who challenge our faith in Jesus, from fear, licking our wounds?
We should no longer be a slave to fear, for we are children of Almighty God, as the song says. Lay it down, the fear in me. Your love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me.


LET IT GROW

The three phenomena, wind, earthquake, and fire, announced the imminent arrival of the Lord (Ex.19; Ps. 18; Hab.3). The Lord's self-revelation to Elijah came in a faint, whispering voice. The lesson for Elijah was that Almighty God was quietly, sometimes imperceptibly doing HIs work in Israel. (The MacArthur Bible Commentary)

In Experiencing God Day-By-Day, a devotional book by Henry and Richard Blackaby they explain this passage:

God came not in fire or in a loud, spectacular way, but in a still small voice. Elijah had allowed his circumstances to overwhelm him, leaving him disoriented to God and feeing alone. So God encouraged him. If you are overwhelmed by kingdom work so that your focus is no longer on God but on all that there is to do, let Him comfort you. Listen to His gentle voice. He will encourage you and provide exactly what you need to prepare you for what comes next. If you need removed from your work for a time, He will. He may place a friend or co-laborer beside you to help carry the load. God knows exactly how to encourage you. Let Him do so.

Here is some advice found in Life Application Study Bible:

Elijah realized that God doesn't reveal Himself only in powerful, miraculous ways. To look for God only in something big (rallies, churches, conferences, highly visible leaders) may be to miss Him because He is often found gently whispering in the quietness of a humbled heart. Are you listening for God? Step back from the noise and activity of your busy life and listen humbly and quietly for His guidance. It may come when you least expect it.

Today, we are staying with Elijah on the mountain, coming out of the cave of hiding, then listening to the Lord God. Maybe you need to do the same this weekend. I know that I certainly do. He never leaves us nor forsakes us, dear ones. If we seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him.
God is faithful, gracious, promise-keeper, rescuer...whatever we need, He is ready to provide.
Have a great weekend.

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.  Psalm 46:10

LET IT GO

Spend time with God, listening for His still small voice.

Open my heart to God for His working in me.

Trust and obey God.

Rise Above My Pity Tree

O. T. #801  "Rise Above My Pity Tree"
July 28, 2016
1Kings 19-Part 3
So he got up...  1 Kings 19:8

LET IT GLOW

"Get up and eat!" an angel touched Elijah and told him a second time while he was sleeping under the tree, his pitiful pity tree. "Eat some more or the journey ahead will be too much for you," was the angel's instruction. So Elijah did. Now the thing is, this food and drink gave him was enough to strength him to travel 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Sinai which about a 200 mile treck.

Jesus and I had a talk under my pity tree-mostly I listened. He clarified the issues that put me there, putting them in perspective. My instructions were to continue on, get up and eat from His banqueting table the food for my soul which He had prepared for me-His Word. His hand was held out to me. I took it and rose from my sitting in self pity under my juniper tree.

The preacher made the message clear and I had to choose. Well, I didn't want to be poor, blind, and naked spiritually like the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3. It was time to get real, a self-assessment. Certainly, I did not wish to be a lukewarm Christian, going through the motions. My desire was for Christ to live in me, to live the extraordinary life with Him.

Once again the most difficult challenge was issued to me one more time- in Matthew 16:24 Jesus said, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Can I be honest here? It has been the hardest thing for me to do in my lifetime, over and over to apply. There it was, I could quit all my ways of serving Jesus, give up all my responsibilities, and become a lukewarm pitiful pew warmer or rise up above the pain, disappointments, and struggles, forgive and be filled with the joy of Jesus.

Obviously, I am slowly rising up. It's a slow process for me-forgive this one, forgive that one, treat them as if the thing never happened-love them through Jesus. Folks, that was/is a giant glass of tea! That meant I had to deny my right to be hurt, upset, even angry at them, stop resenting them hurting me, die on that cross of self pity, give it to Jesus, and follow Him. After all, He did so for me. It was a higher calling, to rise above those issues.

So every time I see those people who hurt me, I have to make a conscious choice-forgive or not forgive, love or not love, treat them like Jesus does or not. Surely I will get passed this and it will become easier. Yep, experience has taught me that it will as time passes. I am an overcomer, as the song says. Don't quit! Don't give in! Be an overcomer!

LET IT GROW

The journey must have been difficult for Elijah, but I wonder if he was  walking and talking with Jesus as he went.

Verse 9a says he came to a cave, where he spent the night. The Lord asked Elijah what he was doing there.
Elijah stated his case in verse 10: I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.

(Wait a minute, Elijah, you were told a hundred had been hid in  caves.)
Well, who hasn't felt all alone in serving? I am doing this and no one else cares if it gets done or not. No one else will help me. Forget it, I'll just quit, too.
They were trying to kill Elijah? As I recall, Jezebel was the one who issued the death threat. Did Elijah think her 400 prophets that were left were pursuing him? Or was it an excuse?

The Lord told Elijah to go out and stand before Him on the mountain. He did. Next time we will discuss what happened.


LET IT GO

                              ...and let God handle those people.
                              ...and deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Jesus.
                              ...and be an overcomer.

Elijah and Me Under the Pity Tree

O. T. #800  "Elijah and Me Under the Pity Tree"
July 27, 2016
1 Kings 19-Part 2
He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. verse 4

LET IT GLOW

Move over, Elijah. I need to sit with you under your juniper tree. My battle has been going on for 5 weeks now and I am growing weary and beat up. Want to join us? I've had enough, too.

God's victory proved He is all-powerful and Baal is not. Israel killed the 450 prophets of Baal, the false god of Queen Jezebel. She sends a life threat to Elijah, he gets scared and runs to the wilderness.

How many times have I wanted to run away, leave it all for someone else to handle? When people's hateful words have cut me into pieces, I sit bleeding. When lack of commitment leaves me stressed, searching for replacements, I want to scream. When they turn away, leaving me, my hands are empty and my heart is throbbing from the pain. My strength is drained.
Elijah said his bedtime prayer, telling God he had had enough, and asked God to take his life, let him die, then fell asleep. Looks like I am in good company.
Say, did I see Job, Moses, Jonah keeping Elijah company when I walked up to join this pity party? Some party-the host is sleeping. Misery loves company, so let me die with you, Elijah. Life is too much for me to handle all these issues. Let's go on to heaven and have a great time. I give up. Let someone else take over in my place; I've had it; it's over. I fell asleep too, sitting under Elijah's tree, which only lasts a few hours because of the stress pressing on me.

Anyone been there?


LET IT GROW

What happened next?

• An angel visited and touched Elijah, waking him up with a message.
• The angel told him to get up and eat. So Elijah ate the bread and drank the water provided, then laying down again.
• A second time the angle told Elijah to eat and drink some more, or the journey would be too much for him.
• He did such, and the food gave Elijah enough strength to travel 40 days and nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. This was about 200 miles that he walked.
• There he came to a cave and spent the night. Tradition says that this cave was the cleft of the rock where God allowed Moses to see His back side, when HIs glory passed by (Ex. 33:32).

Awake our soul, Lord Jesus. Feed my soul with Your Words of encouragement. come Holy Spirit and fill my thirsty soul.

It is encouraging to know that even when the child of God is backslidden, and discouraged, God cares for him in grace. (Wiersbe)

Centuries later, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus would meet together on a mountaintop (Luke 9:28-36).

Breathe, God is here, and you are loved. I just heard it on the radio. We are never too far gone, friend, that God's hand can't reach down and nourish us spiritually, heal our cuts by changing them into scars for Jesus.  Hold on just a little bit longer-He knows this will make us stronger.We must let the light of Jesus come into our dark world and bring new hope and fresh joy.

LET IT GO

Forgive.

Let God have the past and look to Him for my future.

Let God make me stronger through this storm.

He came and rescued me today. Took me by the hand and lifted me up from under my pity tree and out of my pity party.

Death Threat and Desertion

O. T. #799  "Death Threat and Desertion"
July 26, 2016
1 Kings 19


LET IT GLOW

God revealed Himself to be Supreme God Almighty as He devoured with fire Elijah's sacrifice, wooden altar, and water surrounding it in a trench. Then Elijah killed the 450 prophets of Baal, the false god and idol which Israel had previously worshiped. He prayed and God sent rain after 3 1/2 years.
When King Ahab reached home, what was the first thing he did but tell his wife, Jezebel, everything that Elijah had done, including killing the prophets of Baal.
How did Jezebel react? She sent a death threat to Elijah, saying, May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow if I have not killed you just as you killed them. (verse 2)

Jezebel's rejection of God's signs and the determined, defiant way in which she later face death (2 Kings 9:330-31) demonstrate her character as a person who did what she wanted, no matter the consequences. Sin breeds this self-destructive heedlessness. (Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary)

Did she not listen to what Elijah's God had done? Did she not realize that that same God who sent fire and rain could also take her life in order to protect His prophet? Was she challenging God? Why didn't she stop to think that the One who gave her life could also take her life?
Obviously, she did not know God since she was a foreigner who lived among the idol worshipers.


LET IT GROW

What does Elijah do after receiving Jezebel's death threat?

• Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. (verse 3)
• His focus was on the woman and not God's Word; he listened to threats instead of God's promises.
• Some describe him as being exhausted physically and emotionally, fatigued and discouraged, despondent and in need of rest, weary and drained, a man of like passions as us and subject to like trials and failures as we  believers.
• He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, about a day and a half away.
• Elijah left his servant in Beersheba and he went alone into the wilderness, traveling all day.
• He sat under a juniper (broom) tree, which was a desert shrub that could reach the height of 12 feet. 
• Elijah had abandoned a nation in need of spiritual leadership and requested that he might die.

Why does he not pray to God before running away? We know his prayers got answered. For a moment, Elijah acted in fear rather than faith. He didn't run to God, but ran away. The queen had threatened to kill him, but God was not going to let that happen. Elijah had more to do in kingdom work.
However, we are going to leave Elijah sitting under his pitiful tree having a pity-party, with only one present.

LET IT GO

Run to God instead of running away.

Pray...

The Outcome at Mt. Carmel

O. T. #798  "The Outcome at Mt. Carmel"
July 25, 2016
1 Kings 18-Part 5
A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm...  1 Kings 18:45b NLT

LET IT GLOW

God had shown His supremacy to Elijah by providing an unending supply of food for the prophet and widow. Then again to him and all the people of Israel, the 450 prophets of Baal, and the king when He consumed Elijah's sacrificial bull, the wood upon which it was offered, and the 12 barrels of water in the trench surrounding it, with fire at Mt. Carmel.  God flashed fire from heaven for His servant Elijah. The false god Baal could neither send fire nor rain for his followers. Two more times on that day, God would demonstrate his deity and unlimited power. Let's check them out.

After Elijah killed the 450 prophets of Baal, he told Ahab to get something to eat and drink, for Elijah heard a mighty rainstorm coming. Would Ahab do so in celebration of the ending drought that was coming according to Elijah?

Meantime, Elijah climbed to the top of Mt. Carmel again.
What happened next?

• Elijah bowed low to the ground, with his head between his knees and prayed to his God.    (verse 42) We see this humble submission of Elijah as he prayed for rain.
• Elijah sent his servant to go watch the horizon toward the Mediterranean Sea, but returned with a negative result. Seven times Elijah gave his servant the same instructions with the same result-no clouds, 6 times. What would you do?
• However, on the seventh return from looking toward the sea for a raincloud, the servant reported having seen a little cloud in the distance the size of a man's hand.
• Elijah sent his servant to King Ahab and tell him to return home before the heavy rains bogged down his chariots.
• but Ahab did not leave toward Jezreel , his winter capital, some 15-25 miles away, until the sky was black with clouds and a heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm.

 Sounds like Ahab didn't have much faith in what Elijah said nor in God's rain ability. Do we have to see it to believe it instead of having faith in God's Word?

Elijah prayed seven times for rain to fall on Carmel. Sometimes peace comes instantly; other times it comes slowly as a person lingers before God's throne. Elijah is an example of how the fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much (James 5:16-18).   (David Jeremiah)


LET IT GROW

The second miraculous event on that day was seen when God supernaturally empowered Elijah with strength to run after Ahab's chariot and pass it, running the 15-25 miles as a foot runner.

Amid a torrential rain the vindicated prophet humbled himself to be Ahab's forerunner. (Falwell)


A different look at this strength is found in Life Application Study Bible:

Elijah ran six miles back to the city in order to give Ahab a last chance to turn from his sin before joining Jezebel in Jezereel. His run also ensured that the correct story of what happened reached Jezereel. God will help us accomplish what He commands us to do. The proof may not be as dramatic in our lives as in Elijah's, but God will make resources available to us in creative ways to accomplish His purposes. He will give us the wisdom to raise a family, the courage to take a stand for truth, or the means to provide what we need to carry it through.

Can anyone use some of God's supernatural strength to carry those heavy burdens, to keep on running the race of faith, to stay in the fight for His purposes, endure the fire? Do our prayers change things?

Do it again, Jesus, just one more time, or maybe two more times, as was Elijah's case.
Elijah experienced God working in his life through prayer. Do we pray 7 times for kingdom work?


LET IT GO

Keep praying.

Look for God's resources to provide for His purposes to be accomplished.

Ask for wisdom, courage, and the means to do His will in my life.

Expect some fire with the refreshing rain in my life.

The Showdown is Over

O. T. #797  "The Showdown is Over"
July 22, 2016
1 Kings 18-Part 4
verse??

LET IT GLOW

The challenge is on. All day the prophets of Baal prayed, cried, and shouted to their unalive and unreal god, Baal, with no sound, no reply, no response. God was about to make a spectacular and convincing display of His power to everyone present.

What did God's Prophet Elijah do?

• He called the people to gather around.
• Then he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down.
• Elijah took 12 stones, representing the 12 tribes of Israel, to rebuild the altar in the Lord's name.
• He dug a trench around the altar, which was large enough to hold3 gallons of water.
• Next, he piled the wood on the altar and cut up the bull into pieces, laying it on the wood.
• The prophet instructed that 4 large jars of water be poured over the offering and the wood 3 times. It ran over the altar and filled the trench.

Elijah had made it impossible for man to cause a fire to consume the offering. Only God could do it with all that water around it, plus wet wood.
When things are impossible, are we trusting the God of possibilities?

LET IT GROW

Elijah prayed:

• proclaiming God as the God of Israel,
• asked God to prove Himself as the God of Israel,
• asking God to prove that he was God's servant,
• for God to prove that Elijah did all that at God's command,
• for God to answer his prayer s the people would know He was God and He brought them back to Himself.

How did God answer Elijah's prayer?
Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water trench! (verse 38 NLT)

When all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, "The LORD-He is God! Yes, the LORD is God!

Then Elijah commanded the prophets of Baal be seized, not even one allowed to escape. Elijah too the 450 prophets of Baal down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.

Whew! The showdown was over and God was victorious. God showed Himself to be God. He had established His reputation for responding by fire. (Gen. 19:24; Lev. 10:2; 2 Chron. 7:1)

God had told Israel in Deuteronomy 13 to kill false prophets. God was about to make one more display of His deity. We will discuss it next time.

LET IT GO

Watch God work around me.

Let the Showdown Begin

O. T. #796  "Let the Showdown Begin"
July 21, 2016
1 Kings 18-Part 3
The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!  1 Kings 18:24

LET IT GLOW

Elijah's primary assignment was to announce when a drought would begin and end (1 Kings 17:1). god had told him  to proclaim to king Ahab that the drought was an act of judgment upon a people who worshiped idols rather than God. (Blackaby)

All of Israel was present; the 450 prophets of Baal was present; King Ahab was present, as well as Prophet Elijah. It was time to let the showdown begin. (However, Jezebel and her 400 prophets of Asherah were not present.)

• Elijah challenged Israel to stop hopping back and forth between two opinions; if the LORD is God, then worship Him, or if Baal is god, then worship him. In other words, stop hopping from one branch to another like a bird without deciding where to sit. Make a decision today.
• How long would Israel wait? How many more sermons to hear while they keep rejecting God? How many more wasted Sundays worshiping both deities? How many more warnings, graves, years of drought before they turned to God in repentance? What about us?
• How did the people respond? They were completely silent.
• Elijah requested two bulls for the sacrifices; he even let the prophets of Baal choose which one they would use as a sacrifice, cutting it into pieces and laying it on the wood of their altar of Baal worship, without setting it on fire.
• Elijah did the same, preparing a wooden altar on which to sacrifice the bull to his God, El Shaddiah, without setting it on fire.
• Boththe prophets of Baal and Elijah were to call upon the name of their god.

What was the challenge? The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God! Notice that all the people agreed to this challenge in verse 24.

Are you hopping around, Sunday to Sunday, without direction for your life? May I suggest the solution? Bow down and submit to the One True God at His altar of sacrifice.

LET IT GROW

So, the altars and sacrifices were ready without fire. Whichever god lit he fire proved himself to be the most powerful-Jehovah or Baal. Perhaps you have read or heard this story many times and know the outcome. Yet, there may be some of you who do not know what happens. Either way, please stay with me.

What occurs this day?

• Elijah lets Baal's prophets go first. They prepared the bull and placed it upon their altar.
• Then they called upon the name of Baal, from morning to noon, praying and shouting.
• There was no answer, so they danced and hobbled around the altar they had made.

How did Elijah react? Liberty Bible Commentary gives us insight.
At noon, Elijah began mocking the Baal prophets:

• Cry aloud; speak up so he can hear you, for you say he is a god.
• Perhaps he is talking, musing, thinking the matter over. 
• Or he is pursuing or gone aside, a euphemism for reliving himself.
• Or he is on a journey, contrasting or God whose presence we cannot escape. (P. 39:7-10)
• Or he sleepeth, yet the God that kept Israel neither slumbered nor slept. (Ps. 121:3-4)

Hoping to arouse Baal's attention, the prophets submitted themselves to self-torture by slashing themselves with knives and lances. They worked themselves into a frenzy, didn't they? Such a barbarious religion. Through it all, in spite of all its prophets had done, Baal still did not respond by evening. Of course not, for he was only a non-living idol made of stone and man's hands.

God makes a spectacular entrance on the scene, but we will discuss it tomorrow.

Power, status, appearance, or material possessions can become our gods if we devote our lives to them. but when we reach times of crisis and desperately call out to these gods, there will only be silence.  The can offer no true answers, no guidance, and no wisdom.  (Life Application Study Bible)

To what extremes do people go to serve their gods? To get answers?
Some are willing to die or kill others for their false god.

LET IT GO

Turn from any idols in my life in repentance.

Cling to the One and Only True God.