Thursday, August 5: Earth, Wind and Fire

How is it possible that we can walk in the flesh so soon after God does a miracle in our lives? A classic example is when Moses was on top of Mt. Sinai receiving the 10 Commandments while the Jews were worshipping a golden calf fashioned by Aaron, only a brief time after God had parted the Red Sea, killing Pharaoh’s pursuing army in the process. Another example involves Elijah, days after he killed 850 false prophets on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18). Elijah began running and did not stop for a long time. While King Ahab rode to Jezreel, Elijah ran and arrived before Ahab. Yet Elijah did not stop there. Ahab’s wife Jezebel threatened Elijah’s life, and somehow, Elijah lost sight of the miracle the Lord had performed days earlier on Mt. Carmel. He ran from Jezreel to Beersheba, 130 miles, to escape the clutches of Jezebel. Instead of walking in the Spirit, Elijah seemed to be running in the flesh! Why would a man who understood God’s limitless power run from an evil queen?


Aaron, Elijah and the children of Israel are not alone in their fickle nature. Each of us can reflect upon disappointing ventures back into sin after becoming Christians. God promises that He will complete His work in us, but He did not promise to do that instantaneously. Part of our growth with Him is to understand His continuing presence in our lives and His comfort even when we fail. Let’s look at what He did in the life of Elijah:


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!" 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.
1 Kings 19:4-6

The “angel” was a theophany, an Old Testament appearance of Jesus, who comforted the exhausted Elijah. Jesus touched Elijah, spoke to him, and then gave him food and water. What gives us energy when we are exhausted? Rest, food and drink. We can rest in the Lord, and we also know that Jesus is the Bread of Life and the Living Water! It was powerful food (angel food cake?), for Elijah arose and journeyed 40 days to Mt. Horeb, the mountain in Arabia where Moses had received the Law from God. At Mt. Horeb, the miracles continued. The Lord came to Elijah in a cave and asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (Remove Elijah’s name and insert your own, as there are so many times when we carry ourselves to such extremes that no one but God can find us or rescue us)! There is not anger in that simple question, designed to put Elijah back on track.


11 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; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
1 Kings 19:11-12


With Earth, Wind and Fire performing, Jesus spoke to Elijah, while God the Father passed by, and finally, the Holy Spirit demonstrated His presence in the still, small voice. What is most apparent in this story is that regardless of Elijah’s failure to trust in the Lord, God continued to feed Him, to comfort Him, to speak to Him, and to remain with Him. It’s not about Elijah’s faithfulness, or ours for that matter. But it is about God’s faithfulness. God performs so many miracles in each of our lives. Sometimes, we forget. Other times, we tend to ignore those miracles, or even to focus on the fear we might have of people, created by an omnipotent God who loves us. Do we have anything to be afraid of with God on our side?


For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12