LEARNING DAILY

1Kings 19:9, There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

After Elijah ran and wanted to die, an angel ministered to him, giving him food, drink, and rest. Then the angel led Elijah to mount Horeb where he went into a cave. It was there that God asked, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" In the next verse is Elijah answered, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." “He did what discouraged people do; he selectively – and inaccurately – reported the facts, magnifying the problem and minimizing the good. In this case he underestimated the strength of God and overestimated the strength of the enemy” (David Jeremiah Study Bible).

 I have been taking some time to try to help us understand the difficulties of “counting it all joy” when trial comes as James instructed in his gospel. One of the reasons Believers do not do this is because they forget what God has done for them when difficulties came in the past. My dad had a sign on the wall where he worked that said, “You can’t win today’s games with yesterdays hits.” Yesterday’s victories will not be enough for what you must go through today! Can you hear the fear of being alone and the fear that people (Jezebel and Ahab) wanted him dead?

If you look at this story, Elijah had just spent hours confronting the prophets of Baal, had confronted Jezebel, and then ran from her to Beersheba. I Googled the distance between Mount Carmel and Beersheba to find that it is 113 miles (4 hrs.3 min. in heavy traffic); Scripture states he went a day’s journey from there to sit under a tree. He rested and then was led by an angel to Mount Horeb – another 40 days and nights away. He was exhausted! All he could think was all the other prophets had been killed and he was next. When we go through trials that leave us exhausted it is difficult to think clearly and the pity party can occur. His discouragement and poor thinking led to thinking about wanting to die.

Does any of this sound familiar to your story? Have you ever been so tired of facing a trial that you just wanted to give up? The angel of the Lord made sure Elijah had rest and some meals to sustain his trip (v. 5, 7) and that no doubt helped. It is here that God asked Elijah twice, “What are you doing here?” (v. 9, 13). What happened between the two questions is significant. God’s question was not to get an answer He already knew. No, it seems to me this question was to get Elijah to examine his heart and the motives for what he was doing. Was God telling Elijah to confront his fear(s) and to get back to doing what God had called Him to do? Do you remember reading where God asked Adam and Eve where they were when they were hiding? Do you remember when Saul (Paul) was asked why he was persecuting the Lord? These questions can be asked to remind us of our purpose in following Jesus and get us back on track when tired, hungry, discouraged, and feeling like we have not been successful in serving God.

It was between the two questions that Elijah heard that still small voice; it did not occur in the chaos of one’s work or in the busyness of family activity. It was when he was quiet and listening attentively for the voice of God, seeking His direction and guidance that God came to him. Every Believer needs to find time to be alone and to be listening for God’s guidance and reassurance that He is with you. Allow God to speak to you through His Written Word, through His “still small voice,” or through another Believer.

Will you find the quiet time to truly listen for God’s voice when the trials come?