What Cave are you hiding in?

1 Kings 19: 8-13 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces 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; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 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?”

How so many times are we like Elijah? The almighty God defeats our enemies whoever and whatever they may be and we take off and hide in our self made caves when God is telling us to go stand on the mountain and wait for Him. I know I’m guilty of this because I would be looking for Him in all the wrong places. God will not be found in the windy words we might use to hurt others, nor will he be found in the violence we do to others by being loud and obnoxious like a clanging gong with our fiery tempers.

After the wind and the fire Elijah heard God in the silence after the storm. Even though God is there through all the storms with us we hear Him only in the gentle breeze stirring in the silence of the human heart. Once we have heard Him, God will ask as He did Elijah “what are you doing here?” in what way are you called in the world to do God’s will daily. We all struggle with this question at some point in our life and I pray you find the answer in the silence that will lead you to a deeper love of God, His holy Word and creation.

Lord guide me to the silence in all the noise of the world that I hear You more clearly and love You more dearly nd can share Jesus love more sincerely. It is in His sweet name I pray. Amen.
In Christ
Sandy Perry
09/09/09