1 Kings 19:9-18 KJV 9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake 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: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 15 And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. 18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

Seven thousand had not bowed their knees to Baal. Elijah was running away at the time in which the Lord spoke to him. He was running in fear of his life. Many of the prophets of God had been slained, yet God perserved men of God that had not bowed their knees to Baal. These men were probably not prophets but they were warriors. Elijah fearful found a cave and went inside. Lord spoke to him asking him why he was in the cave. Our humanity often forces us to run away from what we do not fully grasp, despite our beliefs. Elijah knew who he believed in. He knew the power God, and yet he still ran. He was upset because of the children of Israel had forsaken their Lord God for the god of Baal. What hard to grasp is the wish washy attitude of the children of God that would forsake their God based on fear or lack of faith. People travel and would adopt the God/idol that the people of the area worshipped, only out of habitual worship and not a spiritual worship of a god. Israel was in state of unfaith in the God that had redeemed them many times from heathen nations around them. Israel still sent with the crowd when came to faith. The Lord God was not vogue at this time. In fact He is was still power but not worshipped. God sent Elijah a a whirl wind, earthquake and fire. Though the rocks crumbled, God was not wind, or the earthquke or fire, but in a still small voice. There are times in our life when storms come that are not of God, but it does not mean God is not there with us. God may not been in those storms Elijah witness at the mouth of the cave, but God presence was still there. God spoke to Elijah again. Elijah say he was still jealous or revered to the sovereign Lord God. Nothing changed his heart or mind to God. Despite all he witness and despite storms that would come before him. God sent him to anoint the new king of Israel for God was going to have victory in Syria. Who do you bow too? Who allegantis are you with. Are you allegient to your country, to God or only to whatever is in vogue at the time? It is decision we all make. Can you be loyal to your country and disagree with it at the same time? Can you know that your country may not or may be doing as God instructs. The issue of faith is about obedience to God despite the powers around you. Faith is about will you stand in faith even unto death. Will stay in faith despite the world around you. It easy to allign yourself with your govenment despite your convictions if you know the powers God allows to rise will also fall if not intune to him. Where are you today? Elijah was not intuned to the government powers of his day, but he believed in a God of all power. He would not abandon his faith despite what leaders could do to him. He already knew some of his brethren had died for their faith. He was running and hoping to hide from the powers of his government until a time when he could walk freely again. In America we have the right to worship God and have freedom, yet even these rights at times seem under attack. Has believers we must stand on the solid rock of faith that God is in control and knows what He doing even when things are out of sorts. Do we bow to anyone other then God? Do we kiss the idols who have no power. We must think again about our allegiants. Who are we will to sacrifice for. Elijah would not bow to the enemies of God. Our nation watches as negotiations happen around our world, in hopes that business will increase and be at peace with our neighbor, yet our alliance is to God as believers. We stand in an unusual time period of the world, where even enemies desire peace and safety for their people. With this said world desiring peace there is no true peace, but only a little safer perhaps. Your alliance to God needs to be I will bow not to any God other then him alone. We know Christ is the Son of God, and God has placed him to rule over the world. God's word is the Son of God, and also the one that came in the flesh to redeem us. The power of God's word is yeah and Amen. His word is sovereign and will continue to be sovereign til the end of time. Yet God allows the evil rise and fall with the weaknesses of man to teach us of his power. Decide today who you bow to on your knees, for the end time you bow to the Jesus our king. God declares every knee will bow and every knee will confess Jesus Christ is Lord. God power reigns through eternity. Yet there times when God allows the sacrifice of his people and also allows them to lead and anoint those that He chosen as leaders. God desires godly people to rule, men and women that will not bow to the enemy. Where do you kneel today? Dear Heavenly Father, bring us to are knees in worship of you. May our knees only bow to you in worship of your sovereignty and power. In Jesus precious name, Amen. Continual Scripture Study for Devotion: Phillippians 2:5-11 KJV 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. http://www.turtle30cshell.com