The hand of the Lord was on Elijah

One of my favorite lines from this week's Bible Lesson on Truth is from I Kings.  "And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah."  That just resonates with me. Elijah had been severely tested with a confrontation. He challenged the 450 priests of Baal and soundly defeated them. Queen Jezebel threatened his life and he ran. He took refuge in a cave and stayed there until he heard God speak to him. "What doest thou here, Elijah?"  What a momentous question. You just faced down 450 and won. You are my chosen prophet and should be out leading the people. Why are you cowering in this cave?

Have you even felt like hiding from the world? Did something happen that drove you to just pull the covers over your head and want to stay in bed? How quickly Elijah seemed to lose faith, especially since he had called on God and been shown His power in such an awesome way.

What I love is this beautiful image of the hand of the Lord resting on Elijah. I have felt that. I have prayed long and hard about something and felt as if God rested His hand on my head in blessing. I have felt the arm of divine Love around my shoulders with such grace when I was grieving. I have felt the hand of the Lord firmly holding me up when I thought I was going to fall backwards down a flight of stairs. The hand of the Lord is upon us. Blessing. Comforting. Guiding. Supporting. No matter what the circumstances appear to be.

God listens to Elijah's pity party and then tells him to 'go forth' and to 'stand upon the mount'. For me that means to rouse myself, to get out of bed, to tackle whatever it is that seems so overwhelming, to obediently face the Jezebel-like though, which in truth cannot harm me. And to do it from the mount of inspiration. To uplift thought to see my oneness with God, who is right with me, His hand upon me. Who can frighten or intimidate me when I know that all the power of God is right there on my behalf?

Elijah was shown that God was not in the earthquake, wind, or fire. Nothing can shake our firm foundation, nothing can blow us over, nothing can cause us to burn with shame or embarrassment or seem to put us through some fiery trial. God is not behind any of that. God is the 'still, small voice' that whispers to our mind and heart. I AM God and you are My beloved child, under My protection, experiencing My divine plan for you.

The hand of the Lord was on Elijah and it is on me....and it is on you.