Hello Youth Family!
As we watch the news each day, how do you feel? When you haven’t seen your friends for the last 3 months due to quarantine, how does that make you feel? This morning in our Time with Abba reading, we read in the Old Testament of Elijah running for his life because Jezebel was after him. Elijah says something extremely significant: “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; …” (1 Kings 19:4). This is Elijah’s sign of crisis or depression. He has had enough, he feels alone, he is living with a sense of failure. So an angel feeds Elijah and leads him through a desert for 40 days until he reaches Mount Horeb. In a cave Elijah sees Mountains destroyed by the powerful WIND, an EARTHQUAKE soon after, then a FIRE. But in each of these sources of strength and power, God was not there. Instead God chooses to speak to Elijah in a whisper.
On this mountain Elijah receives his new assignments from God to #1 anoint a king in a kingdom that’s not his own, #2 to anoint a new king over Israel and #3 a new prophet to take his own position. God’s assignment was meant for a new generation of leaders who would work in relationship to one another, to change the season, to prepare the way for God to be revealed in our culture and society.
God often times reveals himself when we have reached the end of ourselves. As humans we can do a lot, but if we are doing everything where is the need for God? We must learn to live in this tension of Action and Surrender our life to God. If we do this, we can hear God’s whispers.
I strongly believe God has a master plan to shake the earth, move his people into worship, BUT it will NOT be through wind, earthquake, fire, violence or positions of power. Change will occur in Empowered Relationship! Empower simply means when God’s Identity of a person is revealed and is owned, Relationship simply means in connection. Elijah must FIRST anoint each of these people to take up their God given design and Secondly, they will work together to bring God’s Kingdom change to the land.
Right now, there are many people who are at the end of themselves, exhausted, broken, saying “I’ve had enough”. How might we as the church walk alongside people like this to bring Kingdom change in our land?
Reflection Questions:
- Where do you find yourself in the tension of actions and surrender? How might you change your position to Hear God’s voice?
- What do you want to see in this land? Have you been Empowered? Are you in the right Relationship to be a part of change?
Blessings,
Pastor David
