Mount Horeb

Mount Horeb
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Thursday, October 09 2008

"So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he
traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the
mountain 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, 500 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
the condition of Moses and Elijah. For Moses, it was 40 years of
barrenness. For Elijah, it was 40 days without food. Elijah became
tired of standing alone for God.

As workplace believers 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 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 traveling in our own strength. [Francis Frangipane, Place
of Immunity (Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Arrow Publications, 1994), 5.]

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.

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