Experiencing God

Since I'm unable to go to Houston for the Beth Moore Semester (she's taking a group of young ladies b/c of the renovations at FBH)I am with a group of ladies here and we have begun a study series called Experiencing God. It's been two weeks so far. During the first week, that Sunday, our teacher at church spoke on the Voice of God. It was kind of funny to me how the lessons from Experiencing God and his lesson for the week were tied together. The book and our teacher both used I Kings, the story of the prophet Elijah. In chapter 18 Elijah (the only remaining prophet) challenged the baals. Each was to make an offering to their god and the one true God will be the one who responds with fire. Elijah allows them to go first. After hours of chanting, prayers, slashing their bodies, etc... the finally stopped and it was Elijah's turn. He had his sacrifice dowsed with water many times till it was soaked. Elijah prayed that God reveal himself, to let it be known that He is the one true God.
1 Kings 18:36-39 (New International Version)

36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.
37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!"

Elijah was on the mountain top of spiritual experience. However, when you're on the mountain top, satan is sure to try and find away to bring you down. And he succeeds with Elijah, through Jezebel. In Chapter 19 she threatens Elijah's life. She was not impressed by what he'd accomplished on Mt. Carmel. Ahab, the current king of Israel has shown either an unwillingness or an inability to reign Jezebel in. Elijah stumbled into the "pit" of fear. He ran for his life and after 40 days & nights, he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. He found a cave and spent the night. Elijah's fear drove him into a cave, a place of hiding. His "fear" was not unjustified. All the prophets before him had been executed. Jezebels threat was real. But, instead of trusting in God, whom he had just proven was all powerful, he gave into the fear and fled. How often have we had a mountain top experience,(retreats, camp, conferences) only to come home and be driven into a "cave" or "pit" of fear, worry, doubt, or even depression. Elijah was there! Fear and depression had gripped him.
1 Kings 19:9-11a

9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

The LORD Appears to Elijah
And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
10 He replied, "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."

11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."

God doesn't want us to stay in the darkness. He's calling us out into the light, and truth.
1 Peter 2:9 (New International Version)
9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
God called to Elijah..
I Kings 19:11b-13
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 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.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
God had been preparing Elijah to hear him. All the noise of the wind, earthquake, and fire had been his preparations. Then in the stillness, Elijah heard God whisper.
Psalm 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
Why is it important to be still in order to recognize God's voice? If you have all the noise and distractions (tv, games, homework, dinner to fix) going on all around you, it's hard to hear just one of your own kids, let alone trying to hear from God. He wants our undivided attention. Find yourself a quiet place, a quiet time, and be still. Meditate on the word, you will hear God's voice. You will Experience God.