INTIMACY (Into – Me – See) Pt 1
-In the midst of a-
Violent Silence
1 Kings 19:11-13
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (emphasis added)
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Many times as a leader you are left to
Think
Ponder
Reflect
All alone.
The buzz is over, the applause gone and now it’s just you and the Creator.
In the midst of a violent silence there is a peaceful storm that rages…
Where you are running to…He’s already there
And you come to the realization that you lead because He led you first…your greatness stems from His greatness…
But now He is asking you to go deeper into Himself…He wants you to see into Him…and witness a different aspect of who He is…
Elijah had heard from God many times…but this time would be different…Elijah was accustomed to the grandeur of an earth shaking, earth shattering God…But what about when God wanted to get so close .. close enough so that Elijah would hear Him in a whisper…the loudest, deafening whisper he had ever heard.
God wanted to speak, manifest in a different way but Elijah wasn’t ready…
Verse 13 - So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle (emphasis added)
Elijah’s mantle represented
The call…
The anointing…
The power…
God wanted to manifest Himself in a more intimate way but Elijah the prophet that could call down fire from heaven…wrapped himself or hid himself in his mantle…
Elijah feared the next phase of His walk with God…so he hid himself in what he knew best…his mantle.
Fear drives us to do many foolish things…and in that fear we place obstacles in between us and God. When all God wants to do is have intimacy (Into – Me – See) with us…
1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
Perfect love is Jesus and when you are willing to receive that perfect love from His finished work at the cross it will cast out all fear…no more hiding behind
The call…
The anointing…
The power…
As leaders when God wants to go deeper with you and have intimacy with you and He does it in a way that you don’t understand…do you hide behind you calling, ministry, position, anointing and power to justify not having God see into you…God wants to see into you so you can see into him.
God is not interested in what you can do for him…but rather who you are in Him.
As a leader very rarely can you lead people to places in God that you yourself have never been…
God wants you to receive His perfect love to cast out all fear and walk intimately with Him so He can show you the greatness that He wants you to walk in.
Remember that even the ‘greats’ of the Bible and history had ‘human’ moments…so be encouraged that this was just a moment in Elijah’s life where God was taking him deeper…
So get ready for yours.
It just might be in the midst of a violent silence…
