Browns Daily Word 2/12/10

possible for us. He is mighty to save. Thank you for praying for all of us.
I am still feeling weak. I am leaning on the Lord. In Psalm 46 we read, " The Lord is my refuge and strength and a very present help in the time of trouble". He is Almighty, and yet He is Eternally merciful.
One of the events that impresses me in the Old Testament is found in I Kings, where we are told about one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, Elijah.
Elijah was such a great prophet that to this day, Jewish people divide the Scriptures into the Law – represented by Moses – and the Prophets – represented by Elijah. Part of the reason Elijah is so highly regarded is because he courageously confronted one of the most wicked kings and queens in the history of Israel, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. When you visit Mt. Carmel in Israel today you will see a giant starue of prophet Elijah on the mount Carmel. He stood on Mount Carmel and challenged the false prophets of the wicked Jezebel to a contest. He soundly defeated the prophets of Baal, but as soon as Jezebel heard about Elijah’s victory, she threatened his life, and Elijah literally fell apart. He was overcome with fear and he ran away. Finally, (in exhaustion) stopping under a broom tree, humiliated by his fear and overcome with self-loathing and grief, Elijah asked God to let him die.
In that fateful moment, Elijah came to grips with his own humanity, frailty, and weakness, and he could not handle it. In the depths of Elijah's misery, what did God do to help him? God sent him to Mt. Sinai where the Israelites had seen the terrifying light show of God's presence years before. God did just about the same thing with Elijah He had done with those Israelites, but with a twist: “The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ 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.
After the earthquake came a fire but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”1 Kings 19:11-13
God treated Elijah to a gale-force wind, but God was not in the wind.
Then God shook the ground with a terrifying earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. Then God sent a devastating fire, but God was not in the fire. Last of all, Elijah heard a “gentle whisper”, a still small voice. Basically, God was telling Elijah, "I have the power to destroy anything on the face of this earth, and there is nothing that can stand against me. I am mighty and holy and righteous
I’M BIGGER THAN YOU ARE. I’m bigger than Jezebel, or any other ruler or force on the face of the earth." That’s what the wind, the earthquake, and the fire were all about.
In that gentle whisper, God was reaffirming Elijah, telling him yet again that:
I am very powerful… but
I care for you.
I know you’re frail
I know you’re weak
But I love you, and I care for you.
And I am big enough and powerful enough to protect you and care for you in your weakness.

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:13-14
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ