God of the Shakedown
1 Kings 19
We’ve all had moments where the world seems to fall down around us don’t we? Some of us may be walking through a season like this right now. I want to thank Geri for her message last week again on the victory that we have in our savior. But why is it that as soon as things begin to “shakedown” in our lives we are so quick to forget this promise?
Why does it also seem that when things don’t go our way that we automatically assume that nothing good can come from this? Why do we think that God is not a part of what we are going through right now?
The answer is simpler than you think: We are self-centered. We have placed all our stock (our hopes, desires, dreams, goals) in ourselves. But as we’ll see this morning, this is a misplaced trust.
I want to use a story that the Prophet Elijah experienced as an example of what we’re talking about this morning, and I want to give you some context of what has just happened prior to where we are picking up.
Elijah has just had an amazing showdown on Mt. Carmel with 450 prophets of the false god Baal in an attempt to refocus the people of Israel back on God. He sets up an altar with a sacrifice of two bulls and challenges the false prophets to have their god consume the sacrifice with fire.
After hours of no answer from their god, Elijah steps up, repairs the altar, a trench dug around it, and even orders the altar to be covered with enough water to fill the trench. Elijah calls on the Lord, and he answers with a fire so great it consumes all of the altar and water! Elijah then orders the death of the prophets, and victory is certain right?
Not completely. This act has angered the King’s wife Jezebel who orders Elijah’s immediate death. And what does the prophet who has seen great acts of God performed do? He flees. Where we join Elijah is in Horeb, the mountain of God.
1 Kings 19:8-13 (NLT)
So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
I want to pause here and share with you how this passage became personal to me recently. It was really only a month or so ago, and no I didn’t have my life threatened to the point to where I fled to the caves in Shadow Mountain! But without going into any detail, I reached a place personally and in ministry where I felt like I knew where things were headed. I was watching God do amazing things, opening doors of growth and truly moving in major ways.
Then there was the sudden jolt of the unexpected. (Sound familiar to anyone?) And I did what Elijah did. I panicked! “God why have you forsaken me?! I thought I was doing what you wanted! God, I don’t want to tell you how to do your job, but I’ve certainly got some pointers!”
I began to become cynical, and ultimately carried a spirit of bitterness anywhere I went. And I retreated. But what I didn’t realize, and would soon find out, is that God was using this to get me to the place I needed to be.
1. God uses these to get our attention
Look back at Elijah’s story. God asks him what he’s doing, and Elijah is looking for a pity party. Woe is me! Then God responds:
1 Kings 19:11-12 (NLT)
11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.
An awesome display of God’s power right? If we saw something like this today, most of us would ball up in the fetal position right? But Elijah has already seen some incredible displays of God’s power, so now God pulls out the mother of all shakedowns! This is what finally gets his attention.
Here’s the amazing point of this shakedown: God was not in it. God allows these incredible displays of power to take place, but when does God truly reveal himself? In the aftermath, and in the sound of the gentle whisper.
When things are shaking around us, it’s easy to feel helpless and alone—I’d go as far to say it is the natural human reaction! But does that mean God is not with us? NO!
Psalm 103:13-17 (NLT)
The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.? 14 For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.?15 Our days on earth are like grass;? like wildflowers, we bloom and die. 16 The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here.? 17 But the love of the Lord remains forever? with those who fear him.
God loves you and wants what’s best for you. Sometimes, that means allowing you to go through the “shakedown” so that when it stops we are trained to listen for His voice even closer.
“Don’t think for a minute that just because something has entered into your life uninvited, that God can’t use it for his glory.”
-Wayne Cordeiro “Leading on Empty”
If you’ve been with us over the last few years, you’ve heard me talk about how much I disliked the year of 2008. In my life I have never had such a great season of loss. I thought I had given this season of “Growth” over to God, and tried to allow it to be of some good.
So imagine my surprise when things seemed to be on the positive, and suddenly changed on me that I fell right back into the angry, bitter and hurt little child that I was just a year ago. But thankfully this time, God got my attention. The next step would be the hardest.
2. Be Humbled in Affliction
Humbled is not always a friendly word is it? Sure it sounds like the right thing to say, but is it really something we enjoy? Not usually. It means going from “self-centered” to “God-centered”.
1 Kings 19:13 (NLT)
13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
God finally has Elijah’s attention, and Elijah responds accordingly; in humility.
A. Affliction is Necessary for Spiritual Growth
We need to recognize the “privilege of going through affliction” is necessary for growing spiritually.
Hebrews 5:8-9 (NLT)
Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. 9 In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.
First, it should be comforting that Jesus, our Lord and Savior, also was “privileged” to learn through suffering also. Second, it’s important to understand what he learned: Complete and Utter Reliance on God.
I don’t know why God allows the bad things to happen to good people. But I do know that in all these things God wants us to run to him.
For me, that’s all I knew to do. So I ran to his word. And I’ll never forget, we were on vacation in Indianapolis, and one morning I went to do devotions alone. As I’m driving to the coffee shop, I’m just praying and really talking AT God; you know, not really listening. Once I get settled and opened my bible to the reading is in Psalm 46 and it said this:
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”
It was the equivalent of God saying, “Shut your mouth, and let me work. Stop trying to reason and plot and plan things. I got this!”
I had a choice at that point: Continue to be bitter and angry (essentially useless) or allow this to change me for good—God’s Good.
B. Choose to changed for GOOD
The hardest part of humility before God is recognizing that God’s Will is Good, even if it doesn’t match ours!
It’s sounds great to pray “God Your Will be Done”, but do we really mean that, or do we only want God’s Will if it turns out positively for us?
“Suffering will change you, but not necessarily for the better. You have to choose that!”
-Wayne Cordeiro “Leading on Empty”
How do we allow change for Good: Run to God, not away! Pray more, study his word more, allow the fellowship of believers in your life. Pain is still pain. But we do not have to do this alone.
3. God Promises Hope For Tomorrow!
Once Elijah has quieted himself, God sets him back on track.
1 Kings 19:14-18 (NLT)
He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
15 Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. 16 Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. 17 Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! 18 Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”
Check this out, God is saying, “Stop fretting! You’re still alive, and there is still work to be done!”
Aside from self-preservation, Elijah is concerned with God’s work and worship continuing on with others, and God reveals to him that this is going to happen! But none of it is going to take place in this cave.
God is saying the same to you. Yes, it is ok to retreat to a place where you can hear God’s voice clearly. But once you do, it’s time to keep going. Not on our own strength, but on God’s. Remember your focus — GOD CENTERED!
For me it was coming a place of hearing God say, “Is anything really any different? Have I changed your calling? Do what I have tasked you to do, but do it now in the knowledge that I will give you what you need to see that happen.”
Let me tell you, there is no greater feeling than to walk through life knowing how much God loves you! The freedom in humility before God removes the worry of having to make everything happen! It adds a confidence you’ve never known! It makes the shakedown easier to endure because we are now “anchored” to Hope.
Hebrews 6:19 (NLT)
19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
Play Song: “Let that be Enough” by Switchfoot
The chorus of this song is a simple prayer I’ve prayed many times:
Let me know that You hear me,
Let me know Your touch.
Let me know that You love me,
Let that be enough.
Lord let your love for us be all we need, in all seasons, and let us never forget that You in control.
Closing Prayer
