Give Me a Sign
1 Kings 19
In the book of 1 Kings, there is a prophet of God named Elijah. Elijah was performing miracles and leading people to the Lord despite the dangers involved with these actions. It was a dangerous time in Israel for the prophets because King Ahab and his wife Jezebel were far from the Lord and worshiped a god named Baal. The King and Queen were furious with men like Elijah. They went after the prophets and blamed them for the droughts and famines in the land. Elijah heard of the King and Queen’s evil plans to kill the prophets and ran to the hills to escape. After a day of walking in the wilderness…
“He came to a broom bush, sat down under it, and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep” ( 1 Kings 19:4-5).
Elijah was exhausted! How often do we cry out to God when we are at our lowest? How often do we pray, “I have had enough Lord”?
The Lord did not take Elijah’s life but instead sent an angel to him with some food and water. (The original DoorDash?? Bread from the Lord has got to be absolutely delicious) God took care of the needs of his servant. He gave Elijah time to rest. Elijah ate and drank because the angel told Elijah he would need the provisions for the journey ahead. Then this prophet of God– who was just wishing to die– continued on his flight to Horeb, the Mountain of God! After 40 days of traveling across the land, Elijah made it to Mt. Horeb (also called Mt. Siani).
“And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” (1 Kings 19: 10-11)
The Lord could obviously see how Elijah was doing. Elijah felt alone, depressed, worn out, and hopeless. King Ahab and his wife were persecuting the people of the Lord. Elijah felt like his hard work in pursuing the Lord wasn’t changing the nation as he had hoped. Elijah performed miracles in the name of the Lord and carried out his discipleship for many years. But Elijah was a human. A man who was physically and mentally tired of feeling hopeless. Without knowing it, Elijah needed a sign directly from the Lord. He needed a reminder that all of this wasn’t for nothing. A sign to give him encouragement, guidance, and deliverance.
“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came to a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” (1 Kings 19: 11-13)
God sent Elijah sign after sign as a test, showing the prophet first where He was not. The Lord doesn’t have to make His presence known through drastic means, but often by a “gentle whisper”. After years of serving the Lord, Elijah knew what to listen for. That sign from the Lord was the reassurance Elijah didn’t know he needed. The Lord guided Elijah out of his depressive state and redirected him towards a new mission: anointing a new king. Finally, Elijah saw the work of the Lord coming full circle. Elijah knew his prophetic work back under the rule of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel was worth the danger. The Lord was using Elijah to anoint a new king, one who would bring justice to the worshipers of Baal.
If the Lord had answered Elijah’s prayer in verse 4 with a “yes”, Elijah would not witness the signs and wonders of the Lord that would restore a nation. Elijah listened to the quiet whisper of the Lord instead of being caught up in the loud, hopeless, discouraging voices of the world around him. Look for those signs from the Lord. Listen in your times of despair to that soft, gentle sign from the Lord. It’s okay to take a rest, nourish your body, stop running and sit in awe of the presence of God. Unlike Elijah, you aren’t fleeing for your life in the wilderness, but you may be feeling some of the same emotions Elijah was going through. Maybe you have been praying for an unbelieving friend for years and haven’t seen any progress. Maybe you have been applying for job after job and not seeing how God can provide. Maybe your ministry is seemingly going unnoticed and you feel discouraged. Whatever your story may be, know that a sign from God can be a gentle whisper. Are you ready to hear it?
