Verse of the Day 6/20/19
1 Kings 19:11-12 11 And he said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke 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. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. English Standard Version (ESV)
The other day we considered how we are prone to backslide, to wander from God and at some point "we come to our senses", turn and head back to God. We may not all fall or backslide to the degree of the prodigal. Sometimes we can do so while "going through the motions" and attending church on Sundays. But in reality we may feel that God has not been helping us. We may be looking for a sign, a miracle for Him to bring us back.
In today's verse God speaks to Elijah in a gentle whisper, a "still small voice" to call Him back. God wasn't in the earthquake or the whirlwind but spoke to Him in a quiet whisper. No matter where we find ourselves we may find Him in the quiet moments or perhaps when we quiet our soul even in a loud surrounding, perhaps a loud "worship service".
Once again, I go back to something that A.W. Tozer wrote and I have posted in connection with today's verses in my eBible. He writes, "The accent in the Church today," says Leonard Ravenhill, the English evangelist, "is not on devotion, but on commotion." Religious extroversion has been carried to such an extreme in evangelical circles that hardly anyone has the desire, to say nothing of the courage, to question the soundness of it. Externalism has taken over. God now speaks by the wind and the earthquake only; the still small voice can be heard no more. The whole religious machine has become a noisemaker. The adolescent taste which loves the loud horn and the thundering exhaust has gotten into the activities of modern Christians. The old question, "What is the chief end of man?" is now answered, "To dash about the world and add to the din thereof."...
Whether in the workplace, the home or even the church we may not find God in the commotion. But even in the noise, in the commotion God can reach us with the "still small voice". If He speaks to you in a verse or a worship song related to it. You can sit down, pray wherever you are and let God know you are listening. He may start by what He said to Elijah twice in this chapter, "what are you doing here?". He may be asking that of you today. It is not about us, it is about Him.
I'll close with Michael W. Smith's "The Heart of Worship".
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart
I'll bring you more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what you have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about you,
It's all about you, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about you,
It's all about you, Jesus
Blessings,
Mike
1 Kings 19:9-18 English Standard Version (ESV)
The Lord Speaks to Elijah
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He said, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." 11 And he said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord." And behold, the Lordpassed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke 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.12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.[a]
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