| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Savor the time” Our Bible verse for today: “A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper …” 1 Kings 19:11-12 (CSB) Our thought for today: “This is why we call it “quiet” time.” We do not live in a quiet world; we live in a noisy world. Very noisy. There’s seldom a time when we’re not exposed to some kind of manmade noise. Think about it. Even when you have turned off the television and the radio; even when there are no other people around you talking; even if you can get away from the sounds of traffic in the distance; there’s still manmade noise. Can you hear the air conditioner humming in the background? Is the lightbulb in the room buzzing? Can you hear the gentle hum of your computer hard drive? It’s difficult to achieve real silence. Many people don’t even want to. Some people are afraid of true silence because then they have to listen to all the noise in their head. But silence is an essential part of entering into deep communion with God. Seldom does God shout to be heard. Instead, His voice is usually soft and subtle. That’s what Elijah discovered in 1 Kings 19:11-12 (above). Elijah was having a bad day. He was physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted after an extended time of intense ministry. He was in the desert in a cave when God confronted him regarding the pity-party he was indulging in. As something of a dramatic set-up for His coming appearance, God sent a tornado-force wind to blow. Then there as a ground-shaking earthquake. That was following by roaring flames of fire. But God wasn’t in any of that. Instead, after the dramatics were over and God had Elijah’s attention, He spoke to Him in a soft, subtle, gentle voice which Elijah would have to pay close and careful attention to if he wanted to hear it. This is what is sometimes referred to as “The still, small voice of God”. This is how God typically speaks to us too. Seldom does He speak to us with a booming voice out of the whirlwind, the earthquake, or the fire. Those things can be helpful in getting our attention and causing us to settle down and listen, but when God speaks, it’s usually out of the quiet. And … that’s why we call it “quiet” time. If you want to hear the voice of God you will have to settle down, shut down, stop the noise, and just be quiet before Him. We call it “quiet time” because we need to be quiet if we want to hear from God. I encourage you to be quiet and listen to Him this morning. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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