The Presence of the Lord

The presence of the Lord.  Yesterday evening, we continued looking at the person of Elijah.  James reminds us that Elijah was a man with like passions, just like us, and he prayed that it would not rain and it did not rain for 3.5 years.  Elijah’s prayer for it not to rain was the will of God and according to the Word of God.  Elijah was jealous for the Lord because the people were not fully devoting their hearts to God, instead they were limping between serving God and worshipping Baal.  Elijah was obedient to God during these 3.5 years, going exactly where God sent him and doing exactly what God told him.  God provided for Elijah the entire time.  Elijah faces the 450 prophets of Baal, yet after seeing God bring fire there at Mount Carmel upon the sacrifice, hearing the people declare that the Lord, He is God, and after God sending the rain, Elijah got scared and fled from Jezebel.  God gently ministers to Elijah to journey 40 days and 40 days to Mount Horeb.  It was there that God sent an earthquake, fire, and wind, but God was not in those.  And then a still small voice, and Elijah goes to the entrance of that cave and God speaks with him there.  We speculated in our sermon possible applications to this event, but we did conclude that there was one true meaning.  The most important thing is the presence of the Lord.  It is not the effects of God or the event that God brings about, but the presence of God.  This morning, our psalm reading was, “But I will see your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied with your presence” (Psalm 17:15).  No matter what you are facing right now, the presence of God is near.  Seek Him.  No matter what mountaintop experience you have had in the past, the presence of God is still near and He is the same.  Let’s seek Him today.