[Steve Myers] Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one of the most famous well-known stories in the Bible. Elijah comes up against the prophet...the hundreds of prophets, and they have this big contest on Mount Carmel. Ultimately, God wins. He shows, He backs up Elijah, and He consumes the sacrifice before everyone. It becomes obvious God is backing up Elijah, tremendous victory. So, over in 1 Kings chapter 18. But then in chapter 19, Elijah falls into a great discouragement. Jezebel threatens to take his life and so he runs. He runs all the way to Mount Horeb to where the 10 Commandments were given, and he hides out in a cave. And I wonder if sometimes when we're discouraged, it's like we're off in a cave somewhere and it doesn't seem that we'll ever get out of the darkness. Well, something interesting happens at that time, as God continues to deal with Elijah. And Elijah hides in this cave and God comes to him and says, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

That's in verse 1 Kings 19:9, I'll go ahead and write that down, 1 Kings 19:9. So, God says, "What are you doing here?" And Elijah says, "Well, I've been really zealous for your ways and now my life's being threatened, I'm alone left." And so you can see the discouragement that is reflected in Elijah's words. But then God does something very interesting to help prove a point to Elijah, and I think to all of us. So, He says, "Get out of this cave, go on the mountain." And it says, behold, the Lord passed by. First, God pass by, and it says a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord. But it says the Lord was not in the wind. Then it says, 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, literally a quiet little whisper. God gives this lesson to Elijah, after this tremendous victory where fire came down from heaven and consumed this sacrifice and the prophets of Baal were overcome, that isn't the only way that God works.

In fact, it gives this lesson that God can communicate to us in any way that He wants. And many times instead of a miraculous, momentous event that is obviously a sign from God, sometimes it's just that quiet voice when we're alone, when we're reading His word. In fact, in Hebrews 1:1, it tells us that God speaks to us through His Son. That's how God speaks to us. He speaks to us through His Word.

And so, don't get caught up thinking that there has to be some miraculous, obvious, momentous sign from God in order to be assured that God's with us. If you wanna come out of that cave of discouragement, go to God and be ready to listen in whatever way He communicates to us.

It's "BT Daily," see you next time.