Hold Please

There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks 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 the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. (1 Kings 19:9-15 ESV). I don’t know about you, but as for me, I find it very difficult to wait for anything. Perhaps it is our cultural experience that has brought us to such impatience. Perhaps my most difficult area is the telephone. Many of us have experienced the frustration we felt when we were placed on hold. You finally reach a real person, and before you can give your name or state your reason for calling you are quickly asked, "Hold, please!" Some companies have even implemented automated phone systems. You know the kind where computerized voice asks, "press 1 if this, press 2 if that." You listen patiently and your particular area of interest is not represented then finally the voice says, "Hold for an operator" followed by the message, "All of our operators are currently busy, Hold please for the next available operator." And, I roll my eyes and think, “please hurry!” I don’t like to wait. Perhaps you can identify. If so, then when we hear those words, "Hold, please" we instantly become frustrated. The question is what do you do when you hear these words, some decide to hang up only to be put on hold again, while others have learned to hold on. The feeling of frustration is no less frustrating when the person you are trying to reach is God. The Eternal One, who never sleeps nor slumbers, the Omnipresent One whom is everywhere at the same time. The One who is able to do all things. We become frustrated when we call on him in prayer and the return reply seems to be, “Hold, please.” On Mt. Carmel, Elijah had first hand knowledge that God hears and answers prayer and he can answer them quickly. Mohammad Ali once said that he was so quick that he could turn off the light and get in bed before the room got dark. That’s Quick. But My God can answer prayers quicker than that. My God can turn off the lights, dispatch angels to camp around my bedside and prepare my way for the next morning all before the room gets dark. That’s Quick. My God is quicker than fast and faster than quick! Elijah knew that too. Elijah knew beyond a shadow of doubt that God hears and answers prayers. In Chapter 18, Elijah enjoys great success in his prayer life. Every time he calls on God, he receives an answer quickly. However, in Chapter 19, we find Elijah on the run. Running for his life. While on the run Elijah prays, but God put Elijah on hold. Don’t fool yourself God can put you on hold.Sometimes you just have to hold on. I’ve had to learn that God may not come when you want Him but He is always on time. So what do you do when God has put you on hold? All you can do is Hold the Line. Because it is better to be on hold with the Lord then to be on your own. What do you do when God says, Hold Please? Don’t hang up; don’t decide to try back later. Later may be too late. Hold the line. Elijah held the line. First, Elijah felt the wind blowing strong, he thought that the Lord was on the line speaking through the wind, but the Lord was not in the wind, Elijah was still on hold. Then he heard the Earthquake, Elijah ran to check the line but he found out that God was not in the Earthquake. Next, Elijah saw the Fire he ran to check the line and found that he was still on hold. Finally, because Elijah was still holding on the prayer line, he heard a still small voice. If you hold the line God will answer. You can rest assured, you have confidence, and you can have certainty that the Lord will pick up the line. That’s the truth!