Tag Archives: Elijah

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – “What Are You Doing Here?”

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So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

—1 Kings 19:13

It was a glorious day of victory for Israel and the Lord. Elijah had faced off with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, where God sent a stream of fire from Heaven and consumed Elijah’s sacrifice. At God’s command, Baal’s prophets had been slain, and Jezebel, the wife of wicked King Ahab, wanted Elijah dead.

So inexplicably, the courageous Elijah, having just faced all those prophets, ran in terror and hid himself in a cave. Then the Bible tells us there was a mighty, rushing wind, followed by an earthquake and a big fire. After that, God asked Elijah a question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:13).

I wonder if the Lord would say that to some of us sometimes. Maybe it’s when you’re in a group of people and things are happening that you shouldn’t be around. Maybe people are doing drugs or getting drunk. And the Lord says, “What are you doing here?” Or maybe you’re in a movie and a scene comes on that is not the kind of scene you should be watching. Everyone is enjoying it, and you are feeling a little uncomfortable. The Lord whispers, “What are you doing here?”

When Judas came to betray Jesus, He said, “Friend, why have you come?” (Matthew 26:50). Did Jesus know why Judas came to the garden with a bunch of soldiers and the temple guard? Of course Jesus knew. However, Jesus wanted Judas to say he was there because he had been planning to betray Him, but he wanted to repent. But Judas didn’t repent.

God knows everything that we have done, and He wants us to admit our sins, to confess them. Sometimes God will ask us a question designed to do that. So what question is God asking you today?

Our Daily Bread

            Our Daily Bread – When God Is Quiet    

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As [Elijah] lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” —1 Kings 19:5

 

Read: 1 Kings 19:1-12
Bible in a Year: Genesis 49-50; Matthew 13:31-58

I love to take pictures of sunsets at Lake Michigan. Some are subtle shades of pastel. Others are bold strokes of bright color. Sometimes the sun sinks quietly behind the lake. Other times it goes down in what looks like a fiery explosion.

In pictures and in person, I prefer the latter. But both show the handiwork of God. When it comes to God’s work in the world, my preferences are the same. I would rather see dramatic answers to prayer than ordinary provisions of daily bread. But both are the work of God.

Elijah may have had similar preferences. He had grown accustomed to being the center of God’s grand displays of power. When he prayed, God showed up in dramatic ways—first in a miraculous defeat against the prophets of Baal and then in the end to a long and devastating drought (1 Kings 18). But then Elijah felt afraid and started to run. God sent an angel to feed him to strengthen him for his journey. After 40 days he arrived in Horeb. God showed him that He was now communicating in a still small voice, not in flashy miracles (19:11-12).

If you’re discouraged because God hasn’t shown up in a blaze of glory, perhaps He’s revealing Himself with His quiet presence. —Julie Ackerman Link

Lord, may we see You today in the small
details of life in ways that we hadn’t noticed
before. Thank You for the gift of Your quiet
presence, wherever we may find it today.

God is in the small things as well as the great.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Life’s Darkest Moments

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Our Daily Bread

1 Kings 19:1-8

An angel touched [Elijah], and said to him, “Arise and eat.” —1 Kings 19:5

Charles Whittlesey was a hero’s hero. Leader of the so-called “Lost Battalion” in World War I, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery when his unit was trapped behind enemy lines. When the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was dedicated, Charles was chosen to serve as pallbearer for the first soldier laid to rest there. Two weeks later, it is presumed that he ended his own life by stepping off a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean.

Like Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-7), Charles was publicly strong, but in the quiet, post-public moments, his feelings of despair set in. People today frequently face situations bigger than they can handle. Sometimes it’s temporary despair brought on by fatigue, as in Elijah’s case. He had been part of a great victory over the prophets of Baal (18:20-40), but then he feared for his life and ran into the wilderness (19:1-3). But often, it’s more than despair and it’s more than temporary. That’s why it is imperative that we talk about depression openly and compassionately.

God offers His presence to us in life’s darkest moments, which enables us, in turn, to be His presence to the hurting. Crying out for help—from others and from God—may be the strongest moment of our lives. —Randy Kilgore

Father, grant us the candor to admit to each

other that sometimes life overwhelms us. And

grant us the courage to help others find

help—and to seek it when we need it.

Hope comes with help from God and others.

Bible in a year: Psalms 120-122; 1 Corinthians 9

Insight

Elijah, deemed Israel’s greatest prophet, was highly revered and well spoken of by the Jews, by the Lord Jesus Himself, and by the apostles (Matt. 17:10-11; Luke 1:17; Rom. 11:2-4, James 5:17-18). He appeared with Moses at the transfiguration of Jesus (Matt. 17:3). Because Elijah did not die (2 Kings 2:1), the Jews believed he would come back again (Mal. 4:5). Many scholars believe that Elijah will be one of the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11.

Encouragement for Today

Encouragement for Today – April 29, 2014

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line in the sand

Every Doing Starts With a Step – Shelene Bryan

“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?'” 1 Kings 19:13 (NIV)

When I was about 13 years old, my family vacationed in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands with friends. We heard about a local waterfall with a smooth slide carved into the rocks. We were up for the adventure, so we went to check it out.

The water slide looked spectacular. As we made our way to the top of the rocks that formed the slide, I noticed a handful of local kids jumping off of the adjacent towering cliffs into the water. Whew, that looked scary!

After about an hour of fun on that wonderful natural slide (it’s still the best water slide I’ve ever been on in my life), we started eyeing the cliffs and the local kids who were jumping. We looked at each other to see who would conjure up the guts to be the first mainlander to climb the cliff and jump.

Seeing how I always wanted to beat the boys, I volunteered.

I made my way up a path cut into the rock wall. As I stepped up to the edge of the cliff, where the overhang suspended me 30 feet above the water, I began to seriously appreciate how high I was. Basically I started to freak out.

Tim, one of the younger boys in our group, joined me on the cliff. He said, “If you’re not going to jump, move over and I’ll jump. Are you chicken?”

Before I could answer his challenge, a local man, who must have been watching me for five minutes as I contemplated jumping, said, “Just step off.”

“What?” I yelled.

“Just step off,” he repeated.

“Yeah,” Tim echoed. “Just step off.”

Just taking a step seemed easy. I took steps all day long. What was the big deal? It’s just a step. With that, I moved to the edge, closed my eyes tight and simply took a small step forward. My body instantly plunged into space and I free fell with a scream of thrill all the way to the water. I came up out of the water feeling like a stunt girl on Hawaii Five-0.

Are you standing on a “cliff,” unable to jump? Are you feeling like God wants you to make a radical change, but you just can’t? Some people are born jumpers. Others are more like I was: frozen on the edge of that cliff, unwilling to jump but willing to take a small step.

Throughout history God has prodded His people with questions and suggestions to help us figure out what we are doing for Him. Kind of like that man’s comment to me to step off the cliff.

An example of this kind of question is asked of one of my favorite Bible characters: A prophet named Elijah. Elijah had a deep love of God. And in 1 Kings 19, God quietly called out to Elijah through a whisper in the midst of a series of riotous distractions.

God asked a very simple question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

The question was not for God’s benefit and certainly not for His information. God already knew the answer before He whispered the question. God designed that question to help Elijah come to grips with what he was going to do.

Nearly three millennia later, God asks the same question of me: “What are you doing here, Shelene?”

His question asks me to consider where I am. It challenges me to see where I need to go. And then it prompts me to take my next step.

I may not be a jumper, but I can take a step.

Lord, help me recognize Your voice when You call. Help me recognize Your trustworthy character and trust that You have my best interests in mind. Burn into my heart the desire to do the tasks You want me to accomplish for You. Give me the strength and courage to take the first step toward what You want me to do. In His Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Shelene Bryan’s new book, Love, Skip, Jump: Start Living the Adventure of Yes, is available now!

You can learn more about the book at LoveSkipJump.com.

Reflect and Respond:

What insecurities are holding you back from taking a step toward the things God is calling you to?

What small steps can you start taking this week?

Power Verse: Psalm 37:23-24, “The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” (NIV)

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – By the Brook   

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The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. —1 Kings 17:6

When the Bible says that ravens brought Elijah food, it doesn’t mean they took his order, flew through the local fast food restaurant, and then delivered his meal. Ravens are scavengers. They brought little bits of meat and bread to Elijah. What’s more, the water in the brook from which he drank would have been somewhat polluted. It wasn’t an easy situation by any stretch.

How easily Elijah could have said, “Well, Lord, I don’t really want to be in this crummy little place, drinking river water. I kind of like being in front of people. I like the limelight.” But the Lord was preparing Elijah for something beyond his wildest dreams. Not long after this, Elijah would be standing on Mount Carmel in that great showdown with the false prophets (see 1 Kings 18:20-40).

Sometimes we don’t like where God has put us. We say, “Lord, I don’t like this situation. I don’t like where I am. I want to do something great for You. I want to make a difference in my world.” Maybe the Lord wants you to be effective right where you are. Maybe He wants you to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you and be faithful in the little things. Who knows what God has in store for you?

If God has you by some muddy little brook, so to speak, just hang in there. Be faithful, do what He has already told you, and wait on Him and on His timing. God will do something wonderful for you or with you. Just be available and open to do what He would have you to do.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013