TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 1 Kings 19:9-10
Read: 1 Kings 19:1-18
Listen: 1 Kings 19
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Elijah has a showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (recorded in 1 Kings 18). It is one of the most dramatic encounters detailed in Scripture. Elijah on one side. Eight hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and Asherah on the other side. Elijah challenges the prophets to call down fire to validate Baal’s existence. Yet, they can’t do it (since Baal is not real). On the other hand, Elijah prays a simple prayer to Yahweh, and the LORD responds with fire from heaven. Elijah wins the showdown and has all of the false prophets killed as a result.
Immediately after this monumental high, Elijah experiences one of his deepest lows—his breaking point. When Jezebel heard of what Elijah had done, she promised to have Elijah killed. Elijah ran in fear and even requested God would take his life. We have much to learn from Elijah’s emotional whiplash in this story. Sometimes incredible emotional highs are followed by deep lows. This week, we will consider Elijah’s story and how his mountaintop experience and subsequent crash can inform our own walk with God.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Look back on your life and consider when you had a mountain top high with an ensuing low. Maybe it was your baptism followed by a season of intense spiritual temptation or struggle. Perhaps it was a great week at camp or a retreat followed by persistent struggles with anxiety or depression. After considering past experiences, consider some of the possible upcoming mountain tops in your life. What would it look like to emotionally prepare for these experiences and the possible crash that comes after? Ask God for openness to this week’s message, along with a heart that is ready for the emotional ups and downs of life.
2023 SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Join us all of 2023 developing a different spiritual practice each month. SPIRITUAL PRACTICES are intentional regular activities to deepen our relationship with God and mold us to be more like Jesus.
September is COMMUNITY. Keep track of our spiritual practices at beyondtheweekend.org/spiritualpractices.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
