1 Kings 19:11-12 – And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks 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 the sound of a low whisper.
In this scene of Elijah’s life, how God speaks to him is among the most famous stories about Elijah’s incredible life.
God said, “’Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.’ And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks 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 the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.” (1 Kings 19:11-13)
The Word of the Lord had come to Elijah yet again. We are repeatedly told that God’s Word came to or through Elijah, showing his utter dependance on the Word of God and our need for the same (1 Kings 17:2, 5, 8, 16, 24; 18:1, 36; 19:9; 21:17, 28; 22:38; 2 Kings 1:16-17).
Although Elijah knew God’s Word, and was a mature man of God, he was still learning how to discern God’s presence. In Elijah’s example, we see our great need for God’s Word and God’s presence.
Discerning God’s presence is something every believer is constantly learning. Elijah had experienced God’s presence in everything from fire sent from Heaven to an angel ministering to him during a time of spiritual depression. The truth is, God is free and creative. He is free to be present in our lives however He chooses, and often does so in unexpected ways. This is Elijah’s experience. In the next devo, we’ll see several methods in which God spoke and revealed Himself throughout Scripture and how this one was more surprising than ever.
What are some of the ways God has spoken to you?
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