My Epic Journey

Have you ever gone from GREAT victory to DEVESTATING despair?  Had the world by the tail and the next moment felt as if the world was sitting on top of you, crushing you?  Breathed in the INVIGORATING air of the mountain top to find your next step sending you rolling FURIOUSLY down to the valley?

Your not the only one!!

In 1Kings 19.1-18 we see Elijah, an amazing prophet of God, go from one of the most powerful public displays of the strength of God to absolute anxiety and despair to the point of pleading to die.

As I read this passage I wrestle with why we see this sudden change in Elijah.  I believe there are three reasons Elijah last hope?

1.  He was tired.  In fact, Scripture records that he was VERY zealous for the Lord and His work and had worked continuously to see the Israelites turn from false gods to THE God!!!  Therefore, he was tired, which is understandable.  It is always good for us to work hard with what God wants us to do, but it is also necessary to take some time to rest.  Even Jesus, during his earthly ministry, took time to rest!

2.  He needed to get away.  Much like the last point, if we do not take time to step out of the fight to get refreshed, we will certainly lose the battle.  During this time of reflection God did some amazing things:

• He fed Elijah.  Elijah would nap and when he woke there was food and drink sitting next to his head.  How cool is that????  God supplied even during a tough time in Elijah’s life.
• He kept Elijah safe.  God protected Elijah and even sent him to a safe cave where he could rest and reflect.
• He spoke to Elijah.  This, to me, is the coolest part of the story.  In a time of despair, God speaks, in a most incredible way, to Elijah. 

11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

3.  He let people get BIGGER than God.  I have a book sitting in on my library shelf titled, When People are Big and God is Small by Edward Welch. 

Welch talks about the power people have on our life if we take our focus off of God.  This is what I believe Elijah struggled with the most.  He let wicked Jezebel get the best of him and forgot that, though people seem BIG at time, God is ALWAYS bigger!

Next time you feel like all hope is lost, don’t lose your fight, but instead take time to revitalize your soul and your LOVE for God and His work.

When most people imitate the “voice” of God–especially Hollywood–the “voice” drops many octaves and sounds very thundering.  I have always found this somewhat amusing because I too see the “voice” of God like this and yet I am also reminded that His voice is likened to a “still, small” voice as in 1Kings 19:12.  Here is the contextual passage:

11 Then he was told, “Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.” A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper. 13 When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, “So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?”  1Kings 9.11-14

So where do we get the thought that God’s “voice” is loud, thundering and booming?

I came across this passage (Psalm 29) in my personal study yesterday and–man–did it shed light on the “voice” of God:

1 Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
11 The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.

So how do I NOW picture God?  A God with a thundering, booming voice who chooses to meet me with a whisper.

Oh how intimate it is to hear the “still, small” voice of a thundering God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!