Each week we share some words of reflection in the form of a devotional. This week we would like to share a devotional written by Veloria Martinson.
The Word:
So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (NASB)
The Story:
God sometimes uses turbulence in our lives to get our attention. In this passage, God told Elijah to go and stand before Him on the mountain. Yet, before God showed up, Elijah experienced a wind, which was so strong that it tore rocks loose. Next, Elijah experienced an earthquake and still he did not see God. After the earthquake, there was a fire and still no God. Then, God finally makes His appearance in a gentle blowing. Elijah must have been pretty alert after all of this action. Yet, in this heightened sense of awareness, he was still able to detect God in a whisper. In all of our activity, many times we are so busy putting out the fires and quieting the storms ourselves that we have trouble hearing God’s whisper.
God often does not come in the way we expect him. There are problems we encounter, such as when my mother was diagnosed with cancer and I was believing for healing. We expect God to show himself mightily by making these situations disappear. But in Elijah’s case, we see that God did not stop the windstorm nor the earthquake, nor the fire. God kept his word while keeping him safe in the process. Although, God did not come during the storms for Elijah, he still kept His word and showed up. God does the same for us, even past the point where we feel we have had all we can take. God also keeps us safe, as he did Elijah, while we wait on Him to fulfill his promises.
The Reflection:
What activity or problem is demanding all our focus so that we cannot hear God? What opportunities has God given us to help us grow our faith? Are we patiently waiting in faith for the Lord?
The Application:
God does not always come when we expect him. When we are experiencing the difficult parts of life, our windstorm, we are ready for God to show up right then. We do not expect an earthquake afterwards and then, a fire after that before God shows up. Yet, in Elijah’s case, as with us, God gives us opportunities to grow our faith, as we walk through storm after storm waiting on Him. As we endure difficulties, let us ask the Lord what he desires of us as we wait patiently in faith.
The Prayer:
Lord, you are the same, yesterday, today and forever. You teach us that, when You are with us, there is no need for us to be afraid, even in our most challenging situations. Lord give us the courage to wait on You in our storms of life. Amen.
