Category: 1Kings

Posted in 1Kings

The Cave of Desolation

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“Then he (Elijah) came to a cave and lodged there (Mt. Horeb); and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and God said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ Elijah answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’” 1Kings 19:9-10

For over three years Elijah had only gone where God specifically told him to go, but now he has run to Mt. Horeb on his own initiative. Horeb means “desolation,” and Elijah was in a desolate place, not just geographically, but spiritually. God never sends us to a cave of desolation, but He will follow us when we end up there. 

Have you ever been in this cave? Feeling isolated in your faith and feeling like all you have done is in vain? No one is getting saved; no one cares about God; in fact, they’re getting worse right in front of your eyes. Have you ever felt like you’ve been diligent to do your part, but God has seemingly dropped the ball? How do we get out of the cave of desolation?

  1. Get a fresh word from God. If we aren’t hearing God it is easy to live under the voice of frustration, condemnation, despair, or anxiety. God took Elijah out on a ledge and spoke to him again in a gentle whisper. We all need to hear that gentle whisper of God’s love and grace toward us again.
  2. Get a fresh perspective. God tells Elijah that there are 7,000 in Israel who have not bowed down to Baal. (1Kings 19:18) Elijah’s ministry has been way more fruitful than he knew. He isn’t alone, there are a lot of people serving God with him, praying for him, and wanting the same revival he wants. The kingdom of God isn’t losing, it’s going forward, no matter how you and I may feel today.
  3. Get a fresh assignment. The Lord says, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness…and you shall anoint Hazael…and Jehu…and Elisha….” (1Kings 19:15-16) God will take care of the big plan, but Elijah needs to keep doing his part. It’s as if God is saying: “You don’t have to change the whole world, just be filled with My Spirit and go to the people I send you to one at a time.”
Posted in 1Corinthians, 1Kings

The Spirit of Revelation

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“The thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God.” 1Corinthians 2:11b-12

In all of our seeking of God we must always remember that any progress we make is not because we’re good seekers, but because God is a generous, and merciful revealer. If we don’t keep this posture of deep humility, spiritual growth will stop simply because God resists the proud, even if they are His children.

We need to develop a close friendship with the Holy Spirit if we want to seek God in a way that we will find Him. When you fully trust Christ for salvation the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your Spirit. You are, according to the Bible, born again. You have a capacity to know God, hear His voice, and experience His love that an unbeliever doesn’t have. But the key is learning to live more and more by, and with, the Person of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you.

He will speak to you through the Scriptures, so devote time each day to reading. He will speak through circumstances if you will only listen. He will speak through whoever’s speaking and church friends, so make church a priority. He can also speak in a number of supernatural ways according to the Bible, including: dreams, visions, trances, and through angelic visitations.

Many people wish God would speak louder, but that is not usually His way. When Elijah was waiting to hear God a tornado came, but the Lord wasn’t in the wind. Then an earthquake came, but the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. Then a fire, but the Lord wasn’t in the fire. It was in a still small voice, a whisper, that God spoke to him. (See 1Kings 19)

If a person yells they can communicate to you from far away. But if they whisper, you have to come very close or you won’t hear them. That’s what God wants more than anything else, you and I to draw near to Him.