COME OUT OF THE CAVE
I Kings 19.11 “Then he said “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord”.
Here we know background of the context that Elijah killed the prophets of Baal leaving none. Ahab told all these to Jezebel that how Elijah executed all the prophets with sword. Knowing this Jezebel sent a messenger saying, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time ” I King 19 : 1-2
Elijah ran for his life and went to Beersheba and in the wilderness he sat down under a broom tree and prayed for his death. But the Angel of God appeared to him and fed him with cake and water. On getting strength from this he walked for 40 days and 40 nights upto Horeb. And there he hide in a cave and spent the night there.
While he was hiding in the cave the Lord asked Elijah to get out of the cave. We know that he is afraid of Jezebel, he is afraid of his life. , he is confused because he is a man of God. He has seen the mighty deeds of the Lord. However, he is hiding now. In Ps. 139: 9 we read ” and if I dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hands shall lead me”. Here also Lord followed Elijah. That is how, God follows, or leads his children in time of trouble, fear, confusion or in discourage.
Dear brethren, it is a lesson for us, we may be hiding somewhere fearing
something, discouraged or confused. But God says come out of the cave. Get out of where you are hiding. In Psalms 121 we read” I will lift my eyes to the mountain from where my helps come from”. Sometimes we may be looking to ourselves, our weaknesses, our inabilities, or our emptiness. But if we look toward our God we will be strengthened. Because, God promised us in Philippians 4:13 that ” I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” . Believe this. Do not be confused, do not be discouraged, do not be afraid of anything because our God is a God of possibilities. Nothing is impossible with him and also by us who strengthens us. We know Moses who was with a thick tongue and was stammered. God choose him to lead Israel. If God has chosen you and me, it is God who leads us, so do not hide, get up from the caves. Whatever may be your problems, expose yourself before the God. He knows you. He will help you. He will hold your hand and he will lead you to the still waters and make you lie down in green pastures.
So submit ourselves before the God Lord, and not before the world. Believe in the Lord, have faith in him. He is the God of promises who keeps his promises for us.
May GOD bless all of us.
(Sis. Reena Tom … From the extracts of message delivered on Last PYPA i.e. 14.07.2013)