The Providence of God

“Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servants there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.’ And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’ And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, ‘Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.’ And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God,” (1 Kings 19:3-8). 

It was written in Job 32:9 that “Great men are not always wise.” This is certainly true here in 1 Kings 19. In this passage, the reader sees Elijah fail where he was not expected to. Elijah was a prophet of God, a person in which you would expect to have unwavering faith in God. However, Elijah has a crisis on his hands that he does not know how to handle. Jezebel has sworn to take Elijah’s life. This proclamation terrified Elijah and he fled to the wilderness. 

The good news for Elijah though is that God does not leave him out to dry. God sends an angel to Elijah who provides him with food and drink to sustain him for a long journey. Elijah would go on a forty day and forty night journey to Horeb where he would then hear the word of the Lord asking, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9). Elijah would respond by saying, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away,” (1 Kings 19:10). 

Elijah is then commanded to “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord,” (1 Kings 19:11).

“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 and 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. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-13). 

Many people begin to lose trust and faith in God during times of trial. Many times this has to do with the fact that they feel God is not with them. Whenever one faces a trial, it is easy to pray to God and then expect Him to provide or perform in a huge, miraculous way in which our enemies are destroyed and we prevail. However, this is not always how God works. Often, it is in that “low whisper” in which God provides in our lives. We have to be careful to notice the power and guidance of God in our lives and not overlook what He has done. 

Focus On God’s Providence This Week!

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Being The Few