Seek What?

Those who are in ministry know how tiring it is and how weary one gets especially if one loses focus.

The story of Elijah climbing mount Horeb has always impressed me (1 Kings 19).

Elijah had just performed the greatest miracle and demonstrated through his faith that His God is the one and only true living God and that Baal is a phony. God had answered his prayer and had sent fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice while the cries of the false prophets of Baal remained unanswered. And God's promise of sending rain (revival) to the land was accomplished. In other words, Elijah had everything going lovely in his life.

And all of a sudden we see the evil witch/queen Jezebel cursing Elijah and Elijah flees in fear and despair.

Why is that?

Why would such a man become afraid of a curse... after demonstrating that the one true God is on his side?

I was listening to a teaching by John Bevere on DVD yesterday. It has always impressed me how God's Power & Heart are 2 different things and although we need His power in ministry to carry out this great task, without His heart, we will go weary...

Elijah went in so much despair that he wanted to die! God guided him to climb mount Horeb to have an encounter with Him.

The wind and the earthquake and the fire that he encountered are all great and awesome, but Elijah had to go all the way to the top to reach that gentle whisper sound... the voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that keeps on telling us about who we are and what we are called to do (Rom 8:16).

Elijah got back on track and fulfilled his calling.

As human beings, we get all excited with fleshy things like power and loud sounds and concerts and miracles and stuff and it's ok. There's nothing wrong with that. But as spiritual people, we need to realize that if we rely on the flesh to operate and decide who and what we are then our lives will become dependant on how things are going in our lives and around us.

Fire fell from Heaven and it rained after dryness: Elijah was happy.

Queen Jezebel curses Elijah: Elijah's in despair.

If we forget that all success comes from God and without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5), we will become proud and think that all of God's work is dependent on us. Elijah told God: "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken 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." (1 Kings 19:14).

and God told Him: "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king ... anoint Jehu ... king over Israel, and anoint Elisha ...to succeed you as prophet... Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him." (1 Kings 19:15-18).

When we forget that it is by God's grace that we are the great sons of God that we are, we make fools of ourselves and fall from grace... we fall in confusion and despair. It is by grace that we were saved and elected and not because of our merit (Rom 11:5). God comes to remind us that He still is who He is and is still working in great power and it is WE that have fallen from our calling. it is WE that have allowed our ears to turn to the flesh.

Jesus used to repeatedly say: "He who has an ear let him hear..."

Don't turn your senses to the world and to queens with loud voices and don't turn your eyes to the deeds of your hands but seek God's presence beyond power and miracles, seek God's heart and listen to His voice.

"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Rom 8:16).