Where are you?
The sun was setting casting long shadows over the rocky hills around him but Elijah never noticed its beauty, as he poured out his heart in the quiet evening to God. He said “They have forsaken your altar your covenants!” but he meant God, you didn’t do anything, I’m doing my part but you don’t seem to be doing yours. This is your problem God. I can’t bring the whole nation back, so you should do something. Your God after all!” Elijah felt alone and unsupported. “What your asking Lord is just too hard!” He felt persecuted “This could cost me my life and I deserve better.” He was angry and disappointed at God. It was in his voice. Out of his mouth came the evidence of his heart condition. Elijah had let his expectations of God and his expectation of people, harden his heart toward God. He had taken offense at God. Elijah was asking questions of God and God was asking question of Elijah. They were just missing each other.
Friend when we take offense at God it hard to hear his voice It won’t be in the earth quake or the thunder storm. God may get our attention with something dramatic but only to tune us to His voice again
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Its Past
The problem with the past is that it is exactly that; the past.
If you live in the past, you will only ever be what you were; a failure, a drunk, an abuser, hopeless or depressive. You can’t change your past you can only change your future. The only place you can make things to be different is the future. The only place you can meet with God is in the future starting right now.
You can even be captive to a good past. Some people and some companies are bound to the success of the past and it limits them. They think it was the best year; no year could be better.
Some of you have had dreams not yet fulfilled but dreams only come to pass in the future. If you thinking about something that has already happened it’s a memory. It may be great memory but its fading fast and you can’t change memories whether they are good or sad. You can sit at the feet of a memorial stone but it can’t help you.
You can’t undo the sad and painful events of your life but God can totally remove the guilt and shame of every mistake you made. God is able to change the meaning of the past. Somehow God has used the past to bring us the place where we were ready for Him and that is worth any price.
Friend, He can’t change what happened but he does change the result of what happened and He changes it for good.
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Tied to our history or destiny
We all either tend to focus upon our past or our future. We can become tied to our history or our destiny. It is our choice. Obviously the people of faith are moved by their sense of destiny but many people are handcuffed to their past; they drag around with them the scars and the disappointments of life and they are still not free to embrace the future.
For some people the past is like a badge of honour. “You must understand me because I had a hard time growing up or I had very difficult time in the last few years. You have to let me be a bit sad and miserable. They think they can never be different because of their past. I didn’t have the right father or the right education or the wrong friends. I’m like this because of that!
But there are some great souls who say “In spite of my past, I’m like I am today. I’m bold, I’m confident; I’m free from bondages, addictions and the victim mentality. I’m free because I’ve tied myself, not to my history but to my destiny. They know that the past can’t affect their future unless they let it. They have decided not to be a prisoner of their past but a door keeper to their destiny.
You know you can do nothing about your past but you can do a lot about your future. Don’t blame anyone for not being with you or not helping you in the past. Because frankly, it doesn’t make any difference.
Friend, God is writing a new story and the past is only the prologue to give His message of grace in your life, a context.
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The Cave
Elijah was strengthened but he still took his time to walk to Horeb. As he walked he thought about his destination ahead, the mountain of God. It was only 250 miles but it took Elijah 40 days. That is a slow amble!
He couldn’t see God in his life circumstances. God isn’t doing as he thought He would. Elijah had stopped counting his life valuable to God. He even asked God to end his life. His fault reasoning was this “If my circumstances are rubbish and valueless, then I must be of no value.
Elijah arrives at the cave; possibly the great cave in the rock where Moses met with God and revealed Himself as the merciful God (Ex. 34) and sits in the cave amongst the mess of his life. He’s been thinking of what to say to God but when God turns up, instead of following the speech he rehearsed, he blurts out his troubles; all of his depression, paranoia negativity, defeat and hopelessness. “I’m no better than my fathers.”
He felt a failure. Sometimes we get our value from the perceived value of our life and circumstances or even our lack of wealth of profile in church or in the body of Christ. But we are valuable to God because we are His special creation.
Friend, when we realize that we are of great value to our Father then we can be assured that every situation we are in, is crafted and designed. Both us and our circumstances are part of God workmanship. Don’t equate your value with your circumstances. Jesus life was strewn with difficulties and trouble yet he was so loved by His father. So are you!
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