Hills + Valleys | Go Back | 1 Kings 19:19-21 | Week 6

If you've been with us over the last few weeks, you know that we're journeying through the life of one of Israel's ancient prophets, his name is Elijah.  Elijah sort of jumped onto the scene in 1 Kings 17, where he burst into King Ahab's palace and declared, "It's not going to rain again until I say it's going to rain."  Doesn't exactly make you a lot of friends.  Elijah quickly found himself on the run, led by God into the wilderness, the place at Kerith, where he was both cut down and then built back up.  Shortly thereafter, he went to Zarephath and met a widow.  God continued to build Elijah's faith.  We've sort of seen this journey Elijah's been on as one where God is growing him and shaping him and molding him into the man of God that He designed him to be.  His faith grows at Zarephath, so much so that he calls out the prophets of Baal.  He tells Ahab to have the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah to meet him on Mount Carmel.  At that place, Elijah challenges them to see whose God is the God of all the gods.  Elijah calls down fire from heaven and the fire consumes this sort of small mountain they're on.  Elijah, instead of beating his chest and saying God, you're at work, God, you're amazing, God, you're great, actually runs.  Finds himself in the season of depression where he's wondering where God is and he runs to the wilderness.  He runs to Mount Sinai.

Last week, Liz Ditty did a great job of preaching that text in 1 Kings 19, and we're going to pick up where she left off today, but I just want to remind you that the context of our passage this morning comes out of verse 3 of 1 Kings 19 and it says this:  Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.  He's been on the run.  He's heard the voice of God in the midst of this mountain---in the cleft of the rocks.  He does not hear Him in the fire, not in the earthquake of thunder, but God in the whisper.  This intimate, still small voice of God declaring His goodness and His love.  The question I want to ask today is where do you go from there?...