When Angel Gabriel met Zechariah in the course of his priestly duty, he introduced himself as one standing before the Lord. “And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.” Luke 1:19 NKJV. In our text, Elijah also introduced himself as standing before the Lord. This already tells us that standing before the Lord may not necessarily be in a literal sense. If it is literal for Gabriel, it could not be for Elijah. Generally speaking, standing before the Lord connotes the idea of waiting on Him, much the same way the prophets and teachers in Antioch were ministering to the Lord in Acts 13:1-2.

Those who wait on the Lord will soon gain the knowledge of their assignment…Apart from knowing what to do, waiting before God will give us direction to where provision and safety are guaranteed.

Those who wait on the Lord will soon gain the knowledge of their assignment. By waiting on God, Elijah knew he was to go and speak truth to power. Gabriel obtained his mission both for Zechariah and Mary concerning the birth of John and Jesus respectively. Also, it was while the leaders of the church at Antioch were in the presence of the Lord that they gained the knowledge of what task had been set aside for Barnabas and Saul. Apart from knowing what to do, waiting before God will give us direction to where provision and safety are guaranteed. Finally, the audacity by which Elijah spoke in the king’s court shows another thing that happens when we stand before the Lord – we gain power.