Dwelling.

Leave this cave, and go stand on the mountainside in My presence.

The Eternal passed by him. The mighty wind separated the mountains and crumbled every stone before the Eternal. This was not a divine wind, for the Eternal was not within this wind. After the wind passed through, an earthquake shook the earth. This was not a divine quake, for the Eternal was not within this earthquake. After the earthquake was over, there was a fire. This was not a divine fire, for the Eternal was not within this fire.

After the fire died out, there was nothing but the sound of a calm breeze. And through this breeze a gentle, quiet voice entered into Elijah’s ears. He covered his face with his cloak and went to the mouth of the cave. Suddenly, Elijah was surprised. -1 Kings 19:11-13

I spoke in the Harvest service two weeks ago on the story of Elijah. It’s one of my favorites, actually. Here you have a prophet of God who had seen the power of God at work in his life, but in 1 Kings 19, he meets some opposition via telegraph from a queen named Jezebel and it leads him to such a dark place that he runs into the desert and desires to die. I am always caught off guard by this story. Half of me wants to really shake my finger at Elijah with the thought, “What is wrong with you? You’re a prophet that has seen the hand of God move in your life.” Of course, then I think about my own life and the conflict and adversity I often meet and the deserts they often drive me too.

Here’s where I rest in this story. God meets him where he’s at. In fact, God feeds him, nourishes him with bread and water and says, “take a nap” (still believe that naps are biblical by the way). Then, God lets His presence be known to Elijah. On the other side of it all comes three words that I don’t hear often in regards to Elijah’s story. Ready? They’re pretty important in context to our conflict today…

“Now go back.”

Look at what happens. God meets Elijah where he is at. He listens to him. Feeds him. Nourishes him. Then, reveals His presence to him. And then? God sends him back. It’s as if God is saying, “Elijah, you have allowed your circumstances and crisis to become larger than I am in your life. You have lost perspective.” And on the other side of God’s reminding Elijah of who He is, he says the words, “Now go back”. In other words, that conflict is still there but you are not defined by circumstance and adversity, “you are my child, Elijah”.

What is facing you today? In what areas have you allowed circumstance or adversity to become larger than who God is in your life?

Stop.

Rest.

Breathe.

Know.

We can run a crazy pace and exhaustion can become a reality for so many of us if we’re not careful. Find moments to be still in the presence of God. And then? Get back up and go back knowing that you’re never alone on the journey.

Praise God for this truth.