And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. (1 Kings 19:8).
Elijah and Moses were men of great zeal. They were passionate about their causes. Moses sought to free the Hebrews from the tyranny of slavery by killing an Egyptian with his own hand. Elijah, after calling down fire on the evil prophets of Baal, found himself spent physically and emotionally to the point he asked God to take his life.
Immediately after these two events, five hundred years apart from one another, both men were led to the same Mount Horeb, the mountain of God. In Hebrew Horeb means “desolation”. This barren environment mirrored both the condition of Moses and Elijah. For Moses, it was forty years of barrenness. For Elijah, it was forty days without food to travel 200 miles away. Elijah was tired of standing alone for God.
As business people, we often become so focused on the goal we forget to meet God at our own Mount Horeb. This was the place God met both Moses and Elijah. It was a place of renewal. A place of new beginnings. A place of a personal encounter with the living God.
“Perhaps Elijah’s greatest virtue was his zeal. Indeed, we shall see that twice in his communication with God, Elijah speaks of having been ‘very zealous’ for the Lord. But zeal, unattended eventually becomes its own God; it compels us toward expectations, which are unrealistic, and outside the timing and anointing of God.
To remain balanced, zeal must be reined in and harnessed by strategic encounters with the living God. We otherwise become frustrated with people and discouraged with delays. We step outside our place of strength and spiritual protection. Many of us become so consumed with our battles that we are no longer aware of the presence of Jesus. We have been travelling in our own strength.”
Pray that Jesus will teach us that intimacy with Him is the greatest measure of success. Lord, guide us to the mountain of your presence. The place for renewal with Thee. May we forget the things that have burdened us for years and help us to fight the battle that is set before us for your honour and glory.
