I Kings 19:11-13
11. And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rock before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
12. And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
For those not familiar with the story lets take a moment to recap whats going on.
Elijah was a mighty prophet of the God of Israel. Leonard RavenHill said, “When Elijah prayed, fire fell. When Elijah prayed rain fell. When Elijah prayed prophets fell. He altered the course of nature and strangled the economy of a nation, because he had an uncanny hold on God.”
So he receives a letter from Jezebel warning him that much like the other prophets he will be dead this time tomorrow so he panics and runs. He flees until he falls exhausted beneath a juniper tree. After being fed by an angel twice, he made a 40- day journey to mount Horeb.
Here he dwelled in a cave. Hes here for a while when out of the darkness of this cave God spoke and said, “what are you doing here?” Of course he was talking about his spiritual condition and not his physical location. “What is your heart doing in this current state Elijah?”
So He tells Elijah to get out of the cave. Theres a lesson there, we can’t stay in the cave forever! He then tells Elijah to stand on the mountain.
Here we find the mighty wind break the rocks, but God wasn’t there; Then came the earthquake that threatened to thrown Elijah off balance but God wasn’t there; Then the fire, yet God wasn’t there.
However, just because God did not appear in these forces of nature at Horeb, doesn’t mean God is never in the fire, earthquakes, and wind. Those on the Day of Pentecost witnessed the Spirit of God in the rushing mighty wind. The three Hebrew boys were there as God manifested himself in the fire. Paul and Silas experienced the power of the earth quake that shook the very foundation of the prison cell.
But lets look at the fire that fell on Jobs livestock and property, his servant said that God was in the fire, yet we know that satan reined fire in hopes to bring Job down.
This is the message God is trying to tell Elijah. God did not speak to him in an extravagant way, not hurricane force winds or extreme fire, or a violent earthquake. God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice, what a revelation!
With the help of God Elijah called down fire and rain, he also brought on drought to the land; a mere man! Yet God is showing Elijah, its not all about spectacular signs and wonders, its not always going to involve a huge miracle.
Elijah received direction from the simple, yet powerful still small voice of God.
Heres the word I want to leave for you today. For the person thats seeking direction or answers, whether its a ministry decision, or if you’re looking for wisdom and guidance for your situation.
First its time to stop dwelling in the cave, it serves a purpose when the pressures of life forces you to run to the cave but you can’t stay there, its time to get up and get moving.
Second, Elijah was told to stand as God passed by, scripture doesn’t give us an amount of time he stood. It may be awhile at times that we may just have to be still and wait on God. Patience is key, if you receive a word from God, rest assure He hasn’t forgotten about you.
And last: I fear that as the apostolic movement, we can get so used to the spectacular moves of God, the signs and wonders, looking for the next big miracle, that we neglect that still small voice of God.
Please don’t misunderstand, I enjoy the supernatural moves of God in our churches, they serve a purpose, but the word of God is always going to precede the miracles of God.
So perhaps rather than looking for for the big sign in the sky, or the falling lights with the big arrow telling you what to do and where to go, you should be still, and know he’s still God. Find a quiet place, just you and Him. Pray, fast, open up the Word of God. And listen for that still small voice to give you direction.