God intimately desires to make Himself known to you. Could a heart ever get over this grace? 

“But Elijah himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. 

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.” 

God’s Revelation to Elijah

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before God.” 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 19:4-13

I just read the above passage and let me just say that I am baffled. In verse 9, the Lord asks Elijah, “What are you doing here?” and in verse 10 Elijah responds to the Lord. Verse 11 the Lord tells Elijah to, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” What proceeded after this encounter are, “a great and strong wind”, “an earthquake”, “fire”, and “a still small voice”. Look with me at verse 13, “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?”. 

To learn God’s steps 

I read verse 13 and I wondered why God had not only asked Elijah the same question but why did He tell Elijah to “go out, and stand on the mountain before God” (verse 11). The answer God gives Elijah, which is from verse 15 to 18, He could have given it to him the first time He asked Elijah what he was doing in verse 9. 

But God desires you to experience Him more than He wills to answer you. 

God is not only our God, but He is also our Father. When we think of God, we think justice, righteousness, and so forth; but when we think Father, we think tenderness, gentleness, and so forth. I am forever thankful that God is not only my God but that He is my Father too. O how easy it could have been to fear a God that I know I can’t reach out to as a Father. What a grace that we can freely come to God as our Father. What a glorious mercy that we have been given a lifetime privilege of praying to a God who is also our Father?

“And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” Matthew 23:9

Sure, God could have answered Elijah the first time He asked him a question, but then, Elijah could not have experienced God’s power and tenderness. 

“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” (verse 11-12). 

Do you see God’s power and tenderness in those two verses? 

God is so powerful that when He passes by, “a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces…”; “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…”. He is our God but also our Father so He tenderly deals with us; Before God encounters Elijah, we know that Elijah was afraid (verse 3) and that he had asked that he might die (verse 4); is there a better way to speak to a person who is afraid and wants to die than in a still small voice (verse 12)? O the tenderness of our God! 

“The same way a loving father feels toward his children—
 that’s but a sample of your tender feelings toward us, 
your beloved children, who live in awe of you. 
You know all about us, inside and out. 
You are mindful that we’re made from dust. 
But Lord, your endless love stretches 
from one eternity to the other, 
unbroken and unrelenting toward those who fear you 
and those who bow facedown in awe before you. 
Your faithfulness to keep every gracious promise you’ve made 
passes from parents, to children, to grandchildren, and beyond. 
You are faithful to all those who follow your ways 
and keep your word. 
God’s heavenly throne is eternal, secure, and strong, 
and his sovereignty rules the entire universe. 
So bless the Lord, all his messengers of power, 
for you are his mighty heroes who listen intently 
to the voice of his word to do it. 
Bless and praise the Lord, you mighty warriors, 
ministers who serve him well and fulfill his desires. 
I will bless and praise the Lord with my whole heart! 
Let all his works throughout the earth, 
wherever his dominion stretches, 
let everything bless the Lord!” Psalms 103:13-14,17-22 

So God gives us His heart before He gives us answers. God gives us Himself before He gives us His rescue hand.  God desires us to know Him fully more than anything. 

‘The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.’ Jeremiah 31:3

When one is learning how to dance, there are two ways to learn from the teacher: one, the teacher may show you the steps and you must learn them or the teacher might take your hand and teach you the steps by dancing with you. God is not sitting in heaven teaching us about Himself, God is with us and in us teaching us each moment of our breathing about Himself. 

‘And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.’ John 14:16-18

What kind of God dances with His creation? A God who stooped down from His glory to hold our hearts! A God who tenderly speaks to our fears; A God who fought on the Cross to have us for Himself forever, and on that day He sealed the promise that nothing will ever again stand between us, not even our own sinful nature (Romans 8:38-39). O Lord God, thank You for Your unending mercy. Thank You for Your ultimate rescue on Calvary. Thank You for rescuing us from ourselves each day. You are the best thing we could ever desire in this life Lord God, for eternity and beyond. 

“How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation, I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
Then through the darkness, Your loving-kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished, the end is written
Jesus Christ, my living hope…” Living Hope by Phil Wickham 

God, thank You for intimately drawing close to us. Father God, You are our very breath. So you dance with us, wherever You lead may we follow. Whatever steps You take may we forever be close behind, with the swaying of Your hands may we do exactly the same. Until forever, I pray that we forever follow Your will with wholeheartedness and deep joy that can only be found in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Lord, I am loving holding on to You as we dance. This dance is still new, I know I have missed some steps and stepped on You. I know You are not condemning me for missing the steps; as You desire and delight in dancing with me, I am forever learning and growing to do the same. 

I am forever with You. We are forever with You.