The prophet Elijah, the man of great challenges.
The prophet Elijah is a powerful man of God who was able to shut the sky for nearly three years and six months with a simple declaration from his mouth. In his words, we discover that he knew the presence of God.
“And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” 1 Kings 17:1 (Darby)
Before making his declaration to shut the sky, Elijah shows that he is a man who is present in the presence of God. His ministry was a ministry of challenge, and he rose to several challenges by the power of God.
The prophet Elijah performed many other miracles through the declaration of his word. He brought down fire on troops who came to arrest him. He also brought down fire on Mount Carmel, so that it would be known that the Lord is God in Israel. He performed these miracles to establish his authority as a man of God in Israel. Also, to bring back the rains, he declares a word of authority. This time, he highlights the key to his authority by saying that he is present in the presence of God. And the rains will return to the land.
“And Elijah said, ‘As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.’” 1 Kings 18:15 (Darby).
This expression “standing in the presence of God” is practically the same as that used by the angel Gabriel when he spoke to Zacharias, who did not believe his words. And Elijah said, “I am present in the presence of God, there shall be neither dew nor rain except at my word.” Gabriel and Elijah thus used the same principle in the presence of God: Declaring a word of authority in the presence of God! And when Elijah felt depressed under the threat of Queen Jezebel for having slaughtered the prophets of Baal, he fled far away.
But God will meet him at Mount Horeb and ask him to stand in the presence of God again.
“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.” 1 Kings 19:11
The Lord reminds the depressed prophet Elijah to return to the secret of the strength of his ministry:
“Stand in the presence of God! Be present in the presence of God. Regain your strength and continue God’s work.”
Whenever you are depressed, disturbed in your emotions, seek the presence of God again and strengthen yourself. Elijah was a man of the same nature as us, prone to emotional weaknesses, even though he was a powerful servant of God. This word is a powerful encouragement for every servant who understands the importance of standing in the presence of God.
“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.” James 5:17
This text from James reassures us that it is possible to walk in the same dimension as Elijah, to make great declarations of faith and to face great challenges. However, we must operate in Elijah’s secret. And Elisha, one of Elijah’s young servants, understood that it was possible to operate in the same dimensions as his master. That’s why God used him in the dimension of great miracles…
This text is an excerpt from the book “Being present in the presence of God” written by Don Yves Kisukulu K.
We invite you to read the following article “Entering the Presence of God through the Word of God“.
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