BBD 10.19.09 The Wind, Earthquake, and Fire (Classic from 2002)
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
(A Devotional Classic from 2002)
Welcome to the 1157 new subscribers since January 1, 2009
10.19.09
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. - 1 Kings
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 (1 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 (1 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?
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