What Doest Thou Here, Elijah?

What Doest Thou Here, Elijah?

And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  So he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” 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; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.  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?”

1 Kings 19:9-13

How much we owe to the Holy Spirit!  That blessed, gentle, third person of the Trinity has ministered unto us in so many ways, and on so many occasions.  To Him we owe the thanks that we have experienced regeneration.  He is that one who convinced us of our need of Christ.  He brought home unto our heart that call that brought us to the Savior in repentance and faith.  He has indwelt us and daily leads us on in the grace of sanctification.  He also performs for us the gracious office of Comforter and Counselor.  We find an example of this performance in the life of Elijah in the 19th chapter of 1 Kings.

Elijah was in the depth of despondency, and the Holy Spirit came to reason with him in that still small voice.  It is yet the same with us.  When we are in the depths of despondency, the Holy Spirit comes in that still small voice to reason with us.  He comes when we are at our lowest spiritual point.  Elijah was worn out physically at the beginning of the chapter.  God tended to that need first.  Elijah was worn out mentally and spiritually.  God tended to that need next.  It was when Elijah was at his lowest ebb that God came to him in the still small voice.  When the Spirit came, He came to reason with Elijah about his condition.

His question to the despondent saint was, “What doest thou here, Elijah?”  It is the same for us.  When we are in our self-pitying despondency the Holy Spirit reasons with us about our condition:  “Christian, what doest thou here today in your present condition?”

The Holy Spirit also reminds us of who and what we are.  To Elijah He said, “What doest thou here, Elijah?”  Here was the bold denouncer of evil, the caller down of fire, away out in the desert in the throes of spiritual lapse.  Do you remember your former days of usefulness, child of God?  Do you hear the Holy Spirit’s still small voice calling to you this day?  Hearken to His sweet reasonings with you.  He has days of usefulness ahead.

Oh Gracious Lord and Master, 

we confess unto Thee that

we need Thy Holy Spirit

to speak to us today.

Use Thy word today in 

our hearts to lift us up.

Where the Bush is Burning

Tomm Tice