What kind of year did you have in 2006? Were there some victories to
be remembered? Were there some joys? Or was it a time of struggle, fraught
with difficulty? Perhaps it was a mixed bag – some really good things
happened – and some really difficult times came about. But now we are
faced with another year … a tomorrow yet to come.
Let me introduce you to a man who was facing his tomorrows with despair
and how God changed the tomorrows of his life. The man’s name is Elijah.
1 Kings 19
1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done also how he had executed
all the prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, 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."
3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba,
which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and
came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die,
and
said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better
than my fathers!"
Elijah had just experience a chain of events which had lasted for more
than three years. God had spoken through him that it would not rain on
the land of Palestine. During those years of drought Elijah was fed by
ravens, and then miraculously he was fed for months by a widow who had
nothing more than one small bottle of oil and a canister with a handful
of meal in it.
At the end of three years God had Elijah call King Ahab and 450 prophets
of Baal to a contest as to which god Israel would serve … Jehovah or
Baal. The contest involved an altar, a sacrifice, and a time of prayer,
as each group took turns in praying for fire to fall from heaven and
consume their sacrifice. After the prophets of Baal had prayed for most
of the day and nothing had happened … Elijah prayed and fire fell from
heaven and consumed his sacrifice! What a victory! It is then that Elijah
prayed for rain and a storm came! Elijah was so excited that he outran
King Ahab and his chariot as they returned to the city of Jezreel!
Most of us do not see that many miracles in a lifetime! Have you seen
the work of God in your life during this last year? God provides, God
heals, God does things that we cannot do in our own strength and we must
remember God’s working.
But after such a mountain top experience Elijah faced a formidable adversary.
1 Kings 19
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, 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."
Elijah had killed all 450 prophets of Baal after the fire had fallen
from heaven. But the threat from an evil queen removed all his victories
from his mind. What an emotional roller coaster!
1 Kings 19
3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba,
which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and
came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die,
and
said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better
than my fathers!"
It is at this point that Elijah was facing a new chapter in his life:
New tomorrows. His victories and his fears had left him emotionally exhausted
and he is now lying in the wilderness under a lone tree and he wishes
that he might die. Despair and gloom has enveloped him and he cannot
see any hope for his tomorrows.
Have you ever had a time like that? Perhaps you are facing the new
year with some strong emotions from what you experienced in 2006. What
is in store for you? For 2007 I want us to see how God built Elijah’s
tomorrows.
1 Kings 19:5-8
5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel
touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat."
6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and
a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.
7 And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched
him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great
for you."
8 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.
God’s grace provided strength for Elijah’s tomorrows! When Elijah was
depleted of his own strength there was rest and food and drink available
from God that gave him supernatural energy! He apparently traveled in
the strength of God’s refreshing for the next forty days and nights.
As we begin a new year we need that refreshing from the Lord don’t
we? By His grace He provides rest and food and drink which will strengthen
us for our journey.
Jesus said …
Matt 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest.
John 6:56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and
I in him.”
Jesus is our rest, our food, and our drink! When we are depleted in
spirit it is because we are depleted of His presence in us. To begin
our year in the strength of the Lord we need to find our own “broom tree”
in a deserted place and let Jesus impart rest to our soul, food for our
spirit, and a refreshing drink for our life!
Too often we live by the power of our strength and not God’s. Elijah
depleted his own strength in acts of ministry and he was despairing of
hope. When we are despairing of hope it is usually because we have been
living in our own strength! God wants to grace us with His rest, His
food, and His drink! He wants to restore our strength!
God’s grace gives strength for the journey. God’s grace also provides
power for living. Elijah reached Mt. Horeb and spent the night in a cave.
1 Kings 19:11-12
11 Then God 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;
12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire;
and after the fire a still small voice.
I’m not sure what Elijah was looking for on the backside of the desert,
but what he found was the presence of the Lord. But what did he want
from God?
When we have had a series of events which have depleted our strength
we often would like to have the tools – or weapons -- to handle these
events. Perhaps we would like to respond to our difficult times by causing
a huge wind to blow against our past and blow it away! Elijah saw and
heard a wind and it was so powerful that it broke the rocks apart! Now
that would be what he needed when he confronted Jezebel! But God wasn’t
in the wind.
Then there was an earthquake … and then a roaring fire! What would
you do if you could shake you troubles --- or burn them up! Would you
do it? Surely Elijah could overcome his sense of inadequacy by being
able to cause the ground to tremble or cause fire to descend from heaven
every time he made the command! But God was not in the earthquake nor
was He in the fire! God’s presence was in the still small voice.
Power for living is in listening to the voice of God.
God first spoke to Elijah about his motives. What are you doing here?
1 Kings 19
13b "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
14 And he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD
God of hosts; because 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."
God asked this question twice and Elijah answered it the same way both
times. I don’t know if you caught the significance of Elijah’s answer,
but it was filled with self pity. It was All about “me.” “I have been
zealous” and “I alone am left” and “they seek my life.”
Listening to God begins when God starts asking us the hard questions.
Are you discouraged? What are you doing here? Are you angry? What are
you doing here? Are you tired of it all? What are you doing here? Are
you confused? What are you doing here? Are you willing to allow God to
ask you the hard questions? Then get ready for some exciting tomorrows!
God’s still small voice then gave Elijah some positive steps for living!
1 Kings 19
15 Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to
the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king
over Syria.
16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel.
And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet
in your place.
God has plans for the future! Elijah thought things were over. Life
was ending. But God didn’t see it that way! God had a plan for a lot
more things to happen in Israel than what Elijah could understand. God
has more plans for your life! God has more plans for Emmanuel Church!
God has a future and hope prepared for all of those who will listen to
His voice! So God opened Elijah’s eyes and said … there will be kings
and prophets to come and my work for you has not ended!
When life stops being about “me” then we can see the plan of God. There
are kings to anoint and prophets to train! God called you and me to take
the Word of God and give it to the next generation! Do you know anyone
who you can anoint to become one of the Lord’s kings? Do you have anyone
in your life that you are training to take your place after God calls
you home? Elijah obeyed the Lord and found Elisha and invited him to
join him in ministry. Have you invited anyone to join you?
Elijah never ran again. He had found grace for his journey and power
for living! He learned to rely on the still small voice of God … and
to obey Him. That is our hope for 2007! God gives grace for the journey
and power for living.
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