Tag Archives: God of Elijah

Seeing God Who is Hidden

God sometimes seems to us to be quiet or hidden. Many of us would prefer a very visible God, but God is Spirit, and often works in wonderfully hidden ways. We can’t always see what He is doing. Occasionally we may experience a big miracle by God’s power like Elijah did, but most of the time there are no miracles, big or small.

Priest Lake, Idaho

Priest Lake, Idaho

Do you remember the Lord Jesus in the gospels? There we saw Him perform many dramatic miracles, but consider how many people were not touched by Him with miraculous healing, or how many He simply passed by. The truth is, God does not always work by means of miracles.

You might recall that Israel was very callous toward God in Elijah’s day. They ignored God’s Word and worshipped the idols of the pagan peoples among whom they lived. God jealousy desired for His people to respond to Him by faith but He occasionally did miracles through prophets like Elijah and others to prove these prophets were His spokesmen. God wanted to win the hearts of His wayward people. The miracles were God’s gracious warning of impending judgment for continued disobedience.

California Beach

California Beach

Elijah performed many miracles by God’s power, but he was still very human. There were times he was fearful, and felt alone and weak. Wow, does sound like us sometimes! These human frailties, however, did not hinder Elijah from remaining faithful in ministry, nor did they keep him from following His God day-in-and-day out.

California Beach

California Beach

God is God, and Elijah is Elijah! What does that mean? God knows we are human, and He mercifully reaches out to us as He did to Elijah and the people of Israel. God wants us to live by means of faith as we depend upon His strength and wisdom every day, especially when He allows trials to come our way. He has a loving purpose for these trials as He shapes our character to be more and more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Divine Purpose with Elijah

God has a purpose, a divine purpose resting behind every event in life. Many times we do not realize it till we look back and see God’s hand working, protecting and guiding us. Why did we meet this person, why did we end up at this church, at this fellowship, at this function in the body of Christ.

So now look at a few events in the Bible about Elijah.

Sea of Galilee, Israel

Sea of Galilee, Israel

It was not what Elijah did,  but who he was that is most significant. People love the story of the burnt sacrifice and how God proved that Jehovah is God. But the real significance of Elijah’s life and ministry is that he is a man who was available for whatever the Lord wanted to do. He followed The Lord, or to use a hard term for many “He Obeyed The Lord“. Elijah was a person what followed the Lord. Again not what he did, but that what he did was what the Lord was doing.

Even thought Elijah’s Prayer was wonderful, yet he is a person the Lord could use in any situation. Elijah prayed and the rain stopped, Elijah prayed and the rain came. The Lord could use him in any direction. Elijah could be used by God even when the direction or plans seem to change.

He did not stick to a program, but was available in many situations. I am not saying we should not have programs, but what if the Lord adjusts it or suspends it for a time, or sometimes terminates it?

Elijah is mentioned a few times in the New Testament, but not even mentioned in the great chapter on faith in Hebrews 11.

One day Jesus took a few disciples (Peter, James and John) to a high mountain, perhaps  it was mount Hermon in northern Israel.

Mount Bachelor, Oregon

Mount Bachelor, Oregon

And there appeared with Jesus two people from the Old Testament:  Moses and Elijah. These two represented the Law and the prophets. But why not Samuel, I always personally thought Samuel should be the top represented prophet, but God choose Moses and Elijah to appear with Jesus.

The two were talkng to Jesus, Luke says they were talking about Jesus’ death.

Then Peter had a “great idea”, no it was a “bad idea”. Peter wanted to build a great monument to all three people: Jesus, Moses ands Elijah.  So the Father started to speak from heaven saying “This is my son,  Hear Him“.  We should never get distracted from Jesus.

All these events and activities have a divine purpose. These all show we need to follow Jesus and not be distracted by other things. We need to follow Him.

Where is the God of Elijah?

In Hebrews it says: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.  Our God is everlasting, He does not change.  But people ask “Where is the God of Elijah?”.    He is still here, just waiting for His people to obey, believe and pray.  That’s all that Elijah did in 1 Kings 18, he just obeyed God, then he believed God, then he just prayed.  His prayer was based on what God said, that caused him to believe and have faith in God.

Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Psalms 24:7 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.
Psalms 24:9 Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.
Psalms 41:13 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
Psalms 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Psalms 93:2 Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.