Perhaps "he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened." 450 prophets calling out loudly, leaping and doing whatever to see if the one they wanted would answer. "There was no voice, no one answered and no one paid attention." Imagine that!Reading in the 18th chapter of 1Kings (starting in vs 25), we see this picture of men pleading for someone to answer, someone who is not there. In contrast, Elijah calls on the Lord (vs.36-37), "Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You are God." Hearing Elijah, the Lord answers showing Himself in a miraculous way. What do we learn from this; about where we should go for answers, about the reality of God listening?
Like so many, I am certainly guilty of seeking answers in the wrong places and from the wrong people - where no one pays attention, no one is home. Maybe it's God whom I should consistently be turning to for direction in my life, for answers on how to bring up my children, for wisdom and understanding? Can I be as confident as Elijah that the Lord will hear me and answer? Vs.30-37 give us a description of Elijah's careful preparation and humble response to God's word. There is something to that. Then we read how he calls on the Lord for His will (not Elijah's) to be done.
We're invited to ask, seek and knock, to go to our Father in heaven for answers (Matt.7:7); to go expectantly to His Word. And then, part of Matt.7:8 reads "to him who knocks it will be opened."
