BBD 08.05.02 The Wind, Earthquake, and Fire
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The Burning Bush Devotional
08.02.02
The Wind, Earthquake, and Fire
"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." -
19:9-12.
Eiljah has been a mighty instrument used of God to purge the evil from among
the people. Through Elijah God had defeated the prophets of Baal and
destroyed them. However, after this mountaintop experience a messenger
comes to Elijah from the evil queen Jezebel saying, "So let the gods do to
me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by
tomorrow about this time (I Kings 19:2)." Then, Elijah, the man who had
called down fire from heaven to consume the soaked offering in the contest
with the prophets of Baal, the man who had prayed and a drought ended, this
man runs in defeat and fear from Jezebel. Unbelievable!
Elijah not only ran from Jezebel but he sat down under a tree in the
wilderness and prayed that he would die. "It is enough! Now, Lord take my
life for I am no better than my fathers (I Kings 19:4b)!" Elijah had been
on the mountaintop but now he is in the valley of despair. He is depressed
and ready to die. But God is not finished with Elijah. What will it take
before Elijah is willing to be used by God again? On the mountain Horeb,
God asks Elijah what he is doing there? Elijah tells God of the great
things he has done for Him but that he is the only one left and they are
trying to kill him. How can God ever use this used up and defeated prophet
again?
In order to rehabilitate Elijah, God sends a "great and strong wind" that
"tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces." Then God sends an
earthquake, and after the earthquake God sends the fire. Finally Elijah is
again ready to listen to God. Elijah could always hear the Voice of God but
not until this point after the wind, earthquake and fire was he ready to
listen and obey. Elijah was so ready to listen and obey that he could hear
the "still small voice" of God. God again asks Elijah what he was doing
there because Elijah was not where he should have been in service to the
Lord. God sent Elijah to anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel
and Elisha as prophet in Elijah's place. God then told Elijah that he was
not alone that there were seven thousand others that had not bowed to Baal.
What would it take before you would hear and obey the "still small voice" of
God? Why wait for the wind, and the earthquake, and the fire? Why not
listen and obey now?
Copyright © 2002. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the
devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited.
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