A couple of weeks ago my friend, Melanie, who also is a writer, send me her thoughts regarding the following bible verse and I continue to think about them and thought maybe you too would appreciate the reflection:
1 Kings 19:11-15
11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks 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. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.And Melanie wrote the following explanation which I loved:
In the flurry of effort it takes to achieve a milestone, I have been conscious (more than once) of moving so quickly I missed other things that should have mattered. Have you been there? That forces me to ask myself a couple of questions. What if life is not always about how much we are able to get done? Are there times when we should let it be about doing nothing at all?
Then he (Elijah) was told, "Go stand on the mountain at attention before God."
" God will pass by."
If I am honest, I have to admit I rarely stand at attention before God. Oh, I go to church and stand with others. I talk to God every day - in fact - many times a day. But that isn't the same as standing in wait and certainly not at attention. Being "at attention" implies 100% focus until I am released - not until I decide it's time to go. If I had been part of the scene in the movie (Seeing What is Sacred by Ken Gire) Gire talks about, Nell could have looked into my eyes and been entirely correct in assuming that I have a hunger for quietness.
That is because I KNOW intimacy with my Father and His Son are more important than any earthly pursuit I can dream up. So why do I neglect what I know I need?
Here are my thoughts on 2010 -
Do I still make my resolution list? You bet. But the first item must say, "take time daily to wait for God to pass by". I think that habit formed will actually help me achieve everything else I might attempt.
The rest of 1 Kings 19:11 (The Message) is simply too beautiful not to share:
"A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn't to be found in the wind, after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn't in the fire, and after the fire
a gentle whisper."
I look out at my Bentley as she patiently waits for me to pass through the den...for when I pass... she knows it is time to get into position for what is to come. She hurries out of house to wait....
I know, I too, hurry through thoughts and actions and fail so many times to let God pass before me. I do not stand at attention and wait for God and listen for his whispers...OH but when I do...those whispers of comfort, of strength, of wisdom, of security and confidence go right into my soul and
give me the power to carry on...God's way.
God will pass by....and if we are alert and watchful and if we listen carefully with a true eagerness to know of God's presence we will know when he has gone before us and it is time for us to follow.
Bentley stands at the door waiting to be fed...so must we! For it is God who gives us our needed nourishment for each day...and he is consistent and routinely on a perfect time schedule.
Dear Lord, Thank you for you are teaching us that we have to be still and quiet
to know where you are so we can follow. Amen
Praise God wherever you are or whatever situation he has allowed you to be in...for His glory will shine through.
www.cathyjodeit.com
http://simplygod-cathy.bogspot.com/
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