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THE CAVE - PT 3

There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
1 Kings 19:9

During the high points in your life, it’s easy to see God’s hand at work, yet He loves you just as much when you’re discouraged or fall flat on your face. His love is unconditional; it’s not based on your success. Elijah knew for sure that God was with him when he defeated 400 false prophets; called down fire from heaven; resurrected a dead boy; outran a chariot; reprimanded an evil king. Yet when Jezebel pursued him he got so depressed he said, ‘I have had enough, Lord - Take my life’ (1 Kings 19:4). Anytime you feel like that, it’s not from God! Sometimes God permits pain in order to produce conviction of sin and repentance for wrongdoing. That kind of pain is your friend. But God’s not a God of discouragement. His standard greeting is ‘Fear not’ or ‘Be of good cheer!’ Something important happened when God spoke to Elijah in that cave. God didn’t ask, ‘What are you doing there, Elijah?’ No, He asked, ‘What are you doing here?’ God was right there with him! A cave can be a great place to discover that God is with you. It was there that the Psalmist wrote, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living’ (Psalm 142:5). So long as your sense of worth is tied solely to your success, it’ll always be fragile. But when you know - really know - that God loves you, even at your lowest points, you can handle the cave and come out stronger.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for being with me – even when I am hiding in the cave. In Jesus’ Name, Amen