Then he said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the LORD’s presence.” (1 Kings 19:11)
Have you ever felt alone or burnt out? Coming down from the triumph at Mount Carmel between the Lord and Baal worshippers in chapter 18, the prophet Elijah’s life is threatened by Jezebel, and he fearfully flees in chapter 19. He has “had enough” and prays to die. God rejects Elijah’s request, but instead, an angel wakes Elijah and encourages him to eat so that he may travel to the mountain of God.
There, the Lord speaks to Elijah, asking him what he is doing. Elijah says that he is zealous for the Lord, but he alone is left after the Israelites rejected him and are seeking to kill him. The Lord tells him to go stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence since he is about to pass by. A series of forces of nature happen: A wind tears apart the mountain, then an earthquake comes, and then a fire comes. The Lord is in none of those – finally then a gentle whisper comes. Elijah goes out to the cave’s mouth, where the Lord repeats the question, and Elijah repeats his answer. God then tells Elijah to go anoint new kings and Elisha as a prophet to succeed Elijah. The Lord reveals to Elijah that he isn’t alone – there are 7,000 faithful in Israel to God!
If God tells you to go, be sure to listen, because it’s for your good! When Elijah finds Elisha, there’s a sweet short story of how Elisha was plowing with oxen but eagerly wanted to follow Elijah, so he burns all possible bridges of his past – by cooking the 12 pairs of plowing oxen, serving them to people, and kissing his parents goodbye. Elisha has left everything behind to follow Elijah, so, we know that what God had said is true! Even when we doubt, burnout, and have hard hearts, God is faithful and trustworthy.
What can we learn about prayer from this? We are limited but God is good. Even if we pray silly things from a depressed state, God knows what we need. Pray for a refreshed heart that trusts him. If you feel powerless, pray to God who is your strength to strengthen you to do his will. If you feel lonely, know God is worthy of your trust: Don’t need to expect God to only work through the powerful miracles and large numbers of converts. God comes also in the whisper. That is what we ultimately need – God’s quiet, reassuring presence.
Lord, we know you are with us and for us, what can stand against? May we go out wherever you lead in your satisfying presence.