God Speaks Not In The Rushing Wind, But In A Still Small Voice

On By tgifmastermindsIn Uncategorized

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Dear Readers:  Below is a reprint from Buckner International. 

Buckner is a Christian organization located in Dallas,Texas, that establishes and supports orphan homes all over the world.   For ten years this blogger traveled with Buckner as an international missionary, distributing shoes, personal supplies, gifts and teaching English as a second language, as well as promoting the gospel of Jesus Christ where the countries allowed.

My adventures took me to St. Petersburg, Russia; Lima, Peru; Dominican Republic; Addis Abba, Ethiopia; and Hanoi, Viet Nam.  With other Christian organizations and churches, I performed international missionary duties in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Acapulco, Mexico;  Nicaragua and Costa Rico, Central America; Zambia, Zimbabwe and Johannesburg, South Africa; Ammon, Jordan; and the Caribbean.

The reprint of this article below reminds us of where faith and works intersect as our nation adjusts to the ‘new normal’ situation we find ourselves in today, as it relates to Convid-19 also known as the Coronavirus.

Buckner International
Seeking God in the quiet
Seek God in the quiet.jpg

How has your life changed in the last week? For many of us, we are embracing a new culture of working from home, homeschooling our children, practicing social distancing or experiencing a formal quarantine in an effort to slow the effects of COVID-19 that continues to spread throughout our communities. It’s a new normal, but it’s different and sometimes scary.

 

One of the hardest parts of the new normal is the vast amount of time you spend alone. Even if you have roommates or a family, you may still find yourself experiencing some unusual alone time or just an eerie sense of solitude as walks around your neighborhood feel like a ghost town.

The quiet of the hour may be opening the door for some self reflection. And if anyone knows how self-reflection can bring you down from a high, it’s the prophet Elijah.

Elijah had just experienced the greatest of highs. He challenged the false prophets of Baal to a challenge: lay out two bulls on a pile of wood while the prophets of Baal called on their god and Elijah called on his God. He who lit the fire would be the one true God. Though the prophets of Baal tried and tried, a fire never started on their wood pile. But Elijah drenched his wood pile with water three times and called upon God once and fire instantly ignited. The prophets of Baal were defeated and the people turned to God.

But the king was displeased and threatened to kill Elijah so he fled to the mountain. He was so despondent he asked God to let him die. The great prophet who just witnessed the glory of God was now asking to die because he was alone and his circumstances seemed bleak. How often do we fall under the same discouraging murmurings?

Instead of giving in to Elijah’s depression, the Lord provided food for him every day for 40 days. Even still, Elijah could only focus on the negative: he was alone and the king was seeking to kill him. Then the Lord asked Elijah to go to stand on the mount:

“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. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him.” 1 Kings 19:11-13
Sometimes, we expect God to meet us in our busy lives and speak with a mighty thundering. But often, he is the quiet, still voice that calms your soul if you take the time to listen to it.

This new normal of solitude can be scary, but remember that God provided for Elijah when he was alone and encouraged him to go back to the city and do a great work for him. God can be found in the quiet. Take advantage of this new normal and see God in the quiet and see what word he has for you.“‘Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!’ The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” –Psalms 46:10-11

Written by Aimee Freston, associate director of digital communications for Buckner International.

I hope that you truly enjoyed reading and digesting those comforting words and Scriptures penned in the article above by Aimee Freston.  I also encourage you to seek God during your quiet time as we live out this “new normal”.

Scripture Lesson:  “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”  Isaiah 55:6

“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?”  Deuteronomy 4:7

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!   

7 thoughts on “God Speaks Not In The Rushing Wind, But In A Still Small Voice”

  1. Wonderful read! Sometimes we can allow the small things to block out the big picture of what the Lord is truly doing in our lives. Such was the case with Elijah. Being fed repeatedly every day for 40 days by an “unseen” h

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    1. Oh my sweet Precious…I can tell that you were revived and strengthened indeed after reading the Buckner article. And that’s what friendship and loving one another is all about. When I read your blogs about your down setting, my heart was pricked. I chose my comments to you carefully so as not to be judgmental or unkind. The Lord then presented me with the Buckner article and I immediately thought of you. May you rise, shine and give God the glory for the great things He has done. Amen.

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      1. Rev. Cornelius

        Liked the thoughts you expressed on how God speaks in a still small voice. He who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadows of the almighty (Ps91:1). Jesus reminds us In Matthew 6:1-18 that when we give, pray and fast in secret that he will reward us openly.

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      2. Well spoken, Rev. Cornelius. My earnest prayer is that as the stock pile of deceases’ corpses remain above ground and visible to the world, the masses will not lose hope…as the triune governments continue to play politics and be selective as to which regions receive medical, financial and equipment relief, the masses will not lose hope…as food supplies, personal necessities, and financial reserves run out, the masses will not lose hope. Question…will the Believers’ prayers and partitions to God sustain the masses. PERSONALLY, MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS THAN JESUS’ BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. May your daily early morning prayer band of Believers continue partitioning God’s throne during this horrific pandemic. Amen!

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  3. Loved this. Yes, the solitude is unsettling at times, even for one that is by nature an introvert. This is one of my favorites stories in the Bible, because it shows us that we need to learn to be still before God. The noise of our daily lives drowns Him out more often than not and we think He’s not speaking. More likely it’s us who can’t hear Him. God bless you, Sister. 🙂

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  4. God continues to speak to me, Dee, about keeping still and knowing that HE and HE alone is God. So much so, that HE has directed me to another person’s blog who has written on the same subject. The Holy Spirit guided me to ‘reprint’ that article and post it on “Conversations With God Using Scripture” for Friday, May 1, 2020. Please check it out for further divine insight on this subject.

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