Mountaintop Experiences

May 10, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Ravens at Dawn’s Edge

Elijah crouched by the brook Cherith as wings beat the morning air. Black birds landed with meat and bread. No supermarkets, no crops—just leathery wings and a shrinking stream. For a year, he ate mystery meals at God’s table. Then the water vanished. The brook’s stones baked dry. No explanation—just a command: “Go to Zarephath.” [07:15]

God trains hands to receive. Ravens taught Elijah daily dependence. Droughts expose our addiction to control. When resources fail, we learn the Provider’s voice.

Where is your “brook” drying up? A job? A relationship? A routine? Stop clutching yesterday’s provision. Name one practical step of trust today. What barren place is God asking you to walk toward?

“The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.”
(1 Kings 17:6, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal your hidden reliance on systems instead of His hand.

Challenge: Skip one meal today. Use the time to journal what scarcity teaches you.

Day 2: Flour Under Fingernails

The widow scooped the last grains into her palm. Elijah’s request felt cruel: “Make me a cake first.” Yet she obeyed. Oil pooled in the jar. Flour clung to its sides. Morning after morning, her fingers dug into just-enough. Two years of empty jars refilling—not in bulk, but daily. [08:35]

God’s miracles often hide in ordinary containers. The widow’s jar became a classroom: abundance flows from obedience, not stockpiles. Jesus later praised her faith (Luke 4:26).

You check accounts, calendars, and metrics. But what “jar” are you staring at, certain it’s empty? Open it again. Where is God asking you to act before the provision appears?

“The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord.”
(1 Kings 17:16, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for three “daily jars” He’s faithfully refilled in your life.

Challenge: Fill a container with rice or coins. Remove one handful tonight—leave room for tomorrow’s portion.

Day 3: Breath in a Corpse

The boy’s chest lay still. His mother screamed at Elijah, “You brought this!” The prophet stretched over the body three times, pleading. Breath rushed into cold lungs. The widow’s tears turned to trembling joy. Resurrection came—but only after accusation. [09:27]

God allows crises to deepen our witness. Elijah didn’t prevent the death; he participated in its reversal. The miracle validated his authority before the showdown with Baal.

What “dead thing” have you buried? A dream? A relationship? A calling? Stop protecting the corpse. Bring it to the One who breathes life into dust. Will you let grief become a gateway for His glory?

“And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.”
(1 Kings 17:22, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one situation where you’ve hidden despair instead of presenting it to God.

Challenge: Write a lament in your journal using this structure: “God, I thought You… but today I choose to…”

Day 4: Obadiah’s Trembling Hands

Obadiah gripped Elijah’s cloak, begging, “Don’t make me tell Ahab you’re here!” The palace official had hidden 100 prophets, yet now feared becoming a martyr. Elijah stood firm: “I’ll meet Ahab today.” Courage isn’t fearlessness—it’s action despite shaking knees. [12:22]

God uses reluctant allies. Obadiah’s secret faithfulness prepared him to broker the king’s meeting. Your hidden obedience today fuels tomorrow’s breakthroughs.

Who needs your courage today? A coworker? A child? A stranger? Speak truth even if your voice quivers. What relationship have you avoided because confrontation feels costly?

“Elijah said, ‘As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.’”
(1 Kings 18:15, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to expose one place you’ve prioritized safety over obedience.

Challenge: Text someone facing a hard situation: “I’m praying for you right now. How can I help?”

Day 5: Fire on Soaked Stones

Elijah drenched the altar three times. Wood hissed. Water pooled. No theatrics—just a six-word prayer: “Answer me so they know You’re God.” Fire vaporized water, licked stones, and melted metal. The people fell, shouting, “The Lord—He is God!” Three years of waiting exploded in one flame. [17:45]

Delays aren’t denials. God’s timing maximizes glory. The drought’s severity made the fire undeniable. Your wait trains you to recognize His “yes.”

What prayer have you abandoned because the altar’s still wet? Keep pouring obedience. Keep watching. Will you let yesterday’s miracles fuel today’s patience?

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.”
(1 Kings 18:38, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for one unanswered prayer that deepened your trust.

Challenge: Share a past “fire moment” with someone waiting for their breakthrough.

Sermon Summary

We launch into the Peaks and Valleys theme by tracing Elijah as an example of how God brings us to mountaintop encounters after a long journey of dependence and waiting. We watch God provide in unexpected ways while Elijah hides by the brook, then follow the move to the widow at Zarephath where daily provision becomes the daily discipline that shapes character. We face loss and grief even amid provision when the widow’s son dies, and we see restoration that confirms God’s power, not as spectacle but as a sign that God keeps covenant promises. We trace the three years of drought into the dramatic public confrontation on Mount Carmel where prayer and obedience expose idols and God answers with fire, proving who truly rules Israel.

We learn that the summit never arrives apart from the valley. The mountaintop permits worship and public witness, yet the real work of sanctification and dependence happens in the long seasons of scarcity and small daily faithfulness. Waiting refines vision, tests motive, and prepares resolve so that when God acts the people will turn their hearts back. We also learn to enjoy peaks without idolizing them. Peaks teach, they do not become our dwelling place, because nothing grows forever at the top. We come away with clear practice: remember and record the ways God met us, let past encounters fuel present courage, and press on when the climb gets dangerous because God’s timing and provision compel perseverance.

This pattern calls us to both expect dazzling interventions and to embrace slow formation. We will not romanticize mountaintops nor minimize valleys. Instead we will cultivate a steady, gospel-shaped rhythm of trust, obedience, and remembrance so that when the fire comes again our lives point away from false gods and toward the living God.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s timing shapes our faith God times deliverance to complete transformation, not merely to satisfy urgency. The delay exposes idols of self-reliance and forces dependence so that answers renew worship rather than confirm arrogance. Waiting molds patience, sharpens discernment, and prepares the heart to steward the gift when it arrives. [17:45]
2. The valley matures our souls Daily scarcity and hidden seasons teach endurance and shape real character more than public triumphs. The brook and the widow’s table formed habits of reliance and mercy that the summit could not create. We should measure growth by faithfulness in small things, not by the scale of visible signs. [24:06]
3. Do not worship the peak A peak proves God’s power but can become a shrine that traps us in nostalgia. When we fixate on past encounters we risk missing the next call to serve and love in the ordinary. Peaks should point us back to mission, not become the end of our spiritual journey. [20:39]
4. Remember past encounters for courage Recounting God’s past interventions renews courage for present trials and clarifies God’s pattern of mercy. Journaling and recalling those moments turn memory into fuel for perseverance rather than mere sentiment. We rehearse God’s faithfulness so our hope rests on covenant reality, not fluctuation. [27:32]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:26] - Series introduction: Peaks and Valleys
[02:04] - Opening prayer and context
[05:16] - Elijah’s journey to the summit
[07:53] - Provision at the brook and widow
[10:28] - Return and reveal to Ahab
[13:47] - Confrontation on Mount Carmel
[16:21] - Prayer, fire, and God’s timing
[20:26] - How to handle mountaintop experiences
[24:06] - Where real growth happens: the valley
[27:32] - Remembering past encounters for courage
[30:38] - Call to persevere and press on

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
1 Kings 17:1-16 (ESV)
Elijah predicts a drought, is fed by ravens at the brook Cherith, and later sustained by a widow’s endless oil and flour.
1 Kings 18:36-39 (ESV)
Elijah prays for fire on Mount Carmel, proving God’s power and turning Israel’s hearts back.
Galatians 6:9 (ESV)
“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Observation Questions

In 1 Kings 17, how did God provide for Elijah during the drought, and what changed after the brook dried up?
What happened to the widow’s son in 1 Kings 17:17-24, and how did Elijah respond? [09:27]
During the Mount Carmel showdown (1 Kings 18:36-39), what specific request did Elijah make in his prayer, and what was the result?
According to the sermon, why does “nothing grow” on mountaintops spiritually? [24:06]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God chose to sustain Elijah through daily, repetitive provision (ravens, a widow’s flour) rather than a one-time miracle?
The widow accused Elijah of causing her son’s death (1 Kings 17:18). How might prolonged suffering or loss test our trust in God’s faithfulness, even amid His provision? [09:27]
Elijah waited three years for the Mount Carmel moment. How does delayed answers to prayer expose our idols or refine our motives, as mentioned in the sermon? [17:45]
The sermon warns against making “shrines” of past miracles. Why might clinging to past spiritual highs hinder present obedience or mission?

Application Questions

Describe a “valley” season you’re in now (or recently experienced). What small, daily acts of faithfulness is God inviting you to practice in it? [24:06]
When have you been tempted to “quit” during a long wait? How could remembering a past instance of God’s provision fuel courage for this season? [27:32]
What’s one “mountaintop experience” with God that you’re prone to idolize or nostalgically fixate on? How might that memory instead propel you toward current obedience? [20:39]
The sermon suggests journaling God’s past interventions. What specific moment of His faithfulness will you write down this week to rehearse for future trials?
Are there areas where you’ve prioritized visible, dramatic outcomes over quiet, character-forming faithfulness? What would it look like to shift your focus?
How can you encourage someone this week who feels stuck in a “drought” by reminding them of God’s covenant faithfulness?

Sermon Clips

42s

#KeepGoingFireIsComing

“Elijah waited three years. The widow waited daily for two years as her jar would be empty, and then the next day, there was more. Maybe today, you're here and you're waiting. Here's the message. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going because the fire is coming. I I maybe I don't know when. You probably don't know when but the reality is that god is not done and his promises are true. What he says to us is that his word never ever returns empty.”

43s

#ChooseGodNotIdols

“And and and the the message that Elijah says to them is this, how long will you get stuck between two different opinions between worshiping Baal and these other idols or worshiping the god who has provided for you, who has delivered you time and time again? Then he gets to the the culmination. And he prayed, Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel. Answer me, Lord. Answer me so that these people will know that you, Lord, are God and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

29s

#ValleyIsWhereYouGrow

“Where where does things grow? Down in the valley. Where did Elijah grow? He grew there by the brook when the the ravens were bringing him food daily. Where did he grow? He grew at the widow's house when every day they didn't know if there was gonna be more food tomorrow. Oh, it was exciting to call down fire from heaven. It was exciting to watch what what occurred, but the growth happened before he ever got to the mountaintop.”

34s

#GodsTimingNotOurs

“I I I don't know where you're at in in your journey. I don't know if if you're in that three year drought. I don't know if if you're at the mountaintop precipice and and you're expecting and needing and and about to see God do something incredible in your life. But here, I want you to hear this. God's timing is always perfect. It's always right on top. Now the the problem is god's time is not always ours. Have you ever ran into that problem? Where, like like, we needed the answer yesterday, and God says, well, you know what? I'm gonna give it to you next week.”

30s

#NoOneLivesOnMountaintop

“When when you get the phone call, when you get the text, when you get the knock on the door, and you open it and it's that son or that daughter that you haven't seen, haven't talked to in so many years. And while these are all beautiful moments, like, we can't stop there. We continue on with our life. And so the third lesson I think about when it comes to mountaintop experiences is this, that no one lives on the mountaintop.”

32s

#SevenDayBloomSeasons

“It blooms once every seven years, and it only blooms for seven days. Could you imagine the life that it takes seven years to get to the point where the flower comes out, and then it's only there for seven days, and then it's gone? I I I think our mountaintop experiences are much like this. It's it's a beautiful experience. It takes a long time to get there, but then in the blink of an eye, it's gone. It seems like it's you know, where did it go? We we want it back.”

32s

#ComfortCanBecomeTrap

“Now, have you ever been in a stage of your life where you got comfortable? I I've I've been there before. I get get comfortable and it's funny that god has to do something to get us uncomfortable to move because really where Elijah was, hey, he's he's he's made a proclamation. It's living out. It's affecting everybody in the country, and he started to get used to the birds every morning and every evening. He started to get used to having that fresh water, and then it stops. The birds stop coming. The water stops running.”

33s

#WaitingFeelsLikeEternity

“When God provides it. It always makes sense after he does that. It's in the valley. It's during the journey. It's during the delay that it does it. God's timing is always perfect. And the problem is that when when he has us waiting, it seems like it's an eternity. It seems like it'll never come. It is it seems like that that even though we've seen him work before, he's not gonna do it this time.”

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Mascoutah First Baptist Church This sermon · AI assistant

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