STAND III

Earth, Wind and Fire: Head to the Sky

You must be living right if you get picked up in a heaven – bound, multiple horse-powered, fiery ride that leaves everybody in a whirlwind of your dust.  Elijah surely was. He got his last ride on a celestial chariot and broke the sound barrier into eternity!

Elijah had endured for God in spite of the people in his life that made him wish he were dead. Ever been there - white knuckling it as you determine to stand in God’s perfect will even while life lands blow after blow on your hopes and prayers? Remember what Elijah faced as He walked in God’s perfect will?

This Mighty Man of God first broke onto the scene in 1 Kings 17. God appointed Elijah to speak out against the idolatrous reign of Israel’s duplicitous King Ahab and his wicked wife, Queen Jezebel. Those two got sick of Elijah doing treasonous things like withholding rain for three years, showing up with nothing but bad news, calling them mean names like “Hypocrite” and humiliating their palace employees – namely the 450 priests in charge of their Baal worship. Jezebel only decided to slice Elijah to bits when he added insult to royal injury by slaying her devoted, Baal loving leaders - en masse.

So, like any reasonable, miracle working man of God who could raise kids from the dead and summon fire from heaven, Elijah - the mighty prophet, anointed and favored to withstand the wrath of Kings and Princes; the powerful man of influence whom angels fed; the fearless traveler who could, on foot, outpace horse drawn chariots cross country - RAN FOR THE HILLS! Yep, that’s right. He got scared, tossed in the towel, experienced major suicidal ideation, holed himself up in a cave on the Mountain of God and fell sleep. 

Have you ever told God you were staying put, snuggled safely under your warm, soft sheets to avoid the hard-edged, fierce world antagonizing your prayer-filled fight of faith? Have you occasionally veered from your God gps’d path because it was too painful to serve those adversarial people not cooperating with you? We all have. And just like God met Elijah when he was in that cave of despondency, He goes there with you, too.

When he [Elijah] arrived at Horeb, he walked into a cave and rested for the night.

Eternal One (to Elijah): Why are you here, Elijah? What is it that you desire?

1 Kings 19: 9 (The Voice)

Do you know how Elijah answered that question folks long to hear from a fairy-tale genie let alone the True and Living God of the Universe? He complained!

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 1 Kings 19: 10 (NIV)

Yet, God didn't chide Elijah for kvetching and accusing the people to whom he was called to minister. He gave Elijah a break. Why?

He will not constantly criticize, nor will He hold a grudge forever.

Thankfully, God does not punish us for our sins and depravity as we deserve. Psalm 103: 9-10 (The VOICE)

God made a deal with Elijah. Because He “gets it” when we get in that despondent place,

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Psalm 103: 12-14 (NLT)

God showed His glory to Elijah, anyway, to strengthen his faith; to show Elijah he was right where he was supposed to be. On that same Holy Ground - Mount Horeb - where God revealed Himself to Moses Exodus 33:12-23, God showed that even the mightiest wind, earthquake and fire were under His control; something from which Elijah could glean that God is not subject to the creation, but creation to Him; not subject to life - threatening circumstances, but those circumstances to Him

Your circumstances, especially when you are in His perfect will, can be incomprehensibly tough. Still, they are subject to Him. He is not the chaos in which you find yourself , but He is present in that appointed place, with His still, small voice inquiring through those disturbances rocking your world. 

Elijah did not watch God's display even though he was in the appointed place. He had to peek out from his cave to respond to God. 1 Kings 19: 11-15 He had withdrawn instead of keeping his head to the sky and watching all that earth, wind and fire! When the glory show was done, God posed the very same question for Elijah, perhaps because Elijah was in the very same place. And Elijah’s response to God’s second question? That very same complaint.

And through this breeze a gentle, quiet voice entered into Elijah’s ears. He covered his face with his cloak and went to the mouth of the cave. Suddenly, Elijah was surprised.

Eternal One: Why are you here, Elijah? What is it that you desire?

Elijah: As you know, all my passion has been devoted to the Eternal God of heavenly armies. The Israelites have abandoned Your covenant with them, they have torn down every one of Your altars, and they have executed all who prophesy in Your name by the sword. I am the last remaining prophet, and they now seek to execute me as well. They won’t stop.

Eternal One: Travel back the same way you traveled here, 1 Kings 19:12-15 (The Voice)

Imagine if Elijah, instead of answering God's question, 'What are you doing here?' with a complaint, had said something like, "I am standing on your Word, that's what I am doing here! I am counting on you to do through me again, every mighty thing you did before! I see how the rocks and stones themselves worship you! So do I! I refuse to leave this place afraid!"

Don't stay holed up in melancholy, discouragement and defeat. You miss SO much. Do you want to go back the way you came? Do you want God to ask you the same question twice because you are out of position with your first response? At least He asks a second time. 

What is your answer going to be to "What are you doing here?" How about a little declaration of praise and determination? 

No matter how hard life gets we must STAND. Stand even if it's a faith-threatening storm casting your dreams to the wind; a shaking so fierce it quakes the foundation of Bible verses on which you are standing; a fire so intense that your hopes are consumed by disappointment.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)

The good news is God sent Elijah back to complete his tasks - anointing and appointing a few more kings, meeting his successor Elisha, and prepping for his flight to heaven. Elijah hung in there, eventually took his stand and rode off into the sunset of Heaven. 

Keep your head to the sky when the earth, wind and fire threaten you. After the show, God's still small voice is there to whisper His love and direction.

- Still Processing