Stillness


"'Go out and stand before me on the mountain,' the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, ... " I Kings 19:11-13

There are a few members of our family who tend towards the more dramatic. It keeps life interesting. There's a largeness to the big emotion and there is certainly a place for it. The more subdued among us enjoy the smiles inspired by their flair. It is, however, due to their willingness to enter into our more low key worlds that allows room for our relationships to grow and flourish. 

Elijah spent quite a bit of time in the big and dramatic. He raised a boy from the dead. He proclaimed a three year drought over the land of Israel. He called fire down from heaven. He brought judgement down upon the wicked. God often called him into these powerful moments. In the story today, however, God reminded Elijah that life with him isn't always mighty winds, earthquakes, and fire. Routinely, God is most clearly heard in the gentle, the quiet and the still.

David echoed these thoughts in Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." Too often, we focus on the big and dramatic in our relationship with God. We get lost in the pursuit of great emotional experiences or inexplicable shifts in circumstances. We lose sight of the every day humble walk with God. What adjustments need to be made in your life so you have margin to connect with God in the stillness?

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