"THE LORD MEETS WITH ELIJAH"

(NO RESTROOMS/PDA/AIRPODS)

>>>Elijah was a prophet during Arab reign/No rain 3yrs/faceoff against Baal prophets (God consumes everything with fire)/rain starts to happen (Elijah runs before chariots)/Jezebel finds out and wants to kill Elijah/Elijah discouraged and runs/God provides bread.

1 Kings 19:9–10 “Then he came there to a cave and spent the night there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they have sought to take my life.””

>>>(v.9) Elijah slept in a cave, still running from Jezebel. The word of God came to him simply asking “what are you doing here (in the cave)?”

*There’s nothing to indicate that God was upset with Elijah. There was no correction. God is simply asking (though He already knows) why Elijah was in the cave.

>>>(v.10) Elijah’s response: “I have passionately served you and proclaimed, yet Israel continues to rebel and has killed all your prophets. I am the only one left.

>>>This same Elijah who was mocking the prophets of Baal and was on a “spiritual high” from God’s miraculous victory is now running for his life, discouraged of all that has transpired after the “mountain moment”.

*He has left the place where he was supposed to be a prophet.

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>>>Think about/imagine the description of these next few verses.

1 Kings 19:11–14 “So He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and powerful wind was tearing out the mountains and breaking the rocks in pieces before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire, a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they have sought to take my life.””

>>>(vss.11-12) God’s response to Elijah again was not correction, but neither did it address what Elijah said. Instead, God says to go stand on the mountain. The LORD was going to pass by and meet him.

>>>Three powerful and major events happen, but God was not in any of them.

*There was a “great and powerful wind” that tore and broke what was in its way.

*There was a earthquake-a shaking.

*There was a fire. God had just shown His power using fire but was not in this fire.

*God may have caused these three events but was not in them.

>>>The final event wasn’t major at all. It was just a gentle blow. That was when Elijah covered his face and waited for God to speak.

*Covering his face is something seen in the Bible out of a reverence and fear of God.

1 Kings 19:15–18 “The Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram. You shall also anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. And it shall come about that the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.””

>>>(vss.15-18) Elijah and God had the same interaction, but this time God assured Elijah the prophets of Baal would not win, and there were seven thousand more of people who followed the LORD.

*There was instruction regarding the anointing of kings and the prophet to take Elijah’s place.

*Once again, when God spoke, there was purpose.

>>>It’s interesting that God took Elijah through this process of the wind, earthquake, and fire

*Elijah had just had the “mountain moment”.

*God was assuring Elijah that just because fire wasn’t happening didn’t mean He wasn’t. Just because nothing miraculous was happening doesn’t mean God wasn’t working. Just because God’s presence wasn’t in fire doesn’t mean He had left.

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>>>We can have a “mountain moment” (camp, retreats, etc.) but then expect everything to be exactly like it. We end up being discouraged when it’s not.

*Church doesn’t have the same “feel”.

*Bible reading/prayer doesn’t always meet our specific needs/struggles with the verse that directly applies to our situation.

*We go back to life and wonder where God is.

*We get discouraged/doubt God/doubt salvation.

GOD’S “BIG THINGS” ARE NOT ALWAYS IN THE BIG THINGS.

>>>God does not always operate in the big, showy, and miraculous. But the best way to still see God move/understand His will is to keep doing the “small” (daily discipleship, youth group, etc.)

*God is not always the God of fire from Heaven consuming everything. Sometimes He’s the God of behind-the-scenes and not even mentioned, preventing a holocaust because the kings can’t sleep.

*God is not always the God of opening the sky and coming on a horse to save His people. Sometimes He’s the God of being born in a manger. But look at what Jesus did!

>>>When we keep trying to look for God in the big things, we miss the clarity of what He’s doing right there beside us. We could also be chasing what is false.

>>>Camp application:

*Camp may feel like an average youth night (in a good way).

*Camp may be where God breaks you, and you have a moment. But God is still just as involved in your life going back home or to school, and you should still pursue Him in the “non flashy” to keep growing in your walk with Him.