Marching Through the Storms

I had a conversation yesterday with a good friend who I am worried might be wearing himself out and trying to do too much. This conversation triggered my mind to think about one of my favorite Bible stories in the Old Testament.

1 Kings 19: 1-12 (The Message version)

1-2 Ahab reported to Jezebel everything that Elijah had done, including the massacre of the prophets. Jezebel immediately sent a messenger to Elijah with her threat: "The gods will get you for this and I'll get even with you! By this time tomorrow you'll be as dead as any one of those prophets." 3-5 When Elijah saw how things were, he ran for dear life to Beersheba, far in the south of Judah. He left his young servant there and then went on into the desert another day's journey. He came to a lone broom bush and collapsed in its shade, wanting in the worst way to be done with it all—to just die: "Enough of this, God! Take my life—I'm ready to join my ancestors in the grave!" Exhausted, he fell asleep under the lone broom bush. Suddenly an angel shook him awake and said, "Get up and eat!" 6 He looked around and, to his surprise, right by his head were a loaf of bread baked on some coals and a jug of water. He ate the meal and went back to sleep.
7 The angel of God came back, shook him awake again, and said, "Get up and eat some more—you've got a long journey ahead of you." 8-9 He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep. Then the word of God came to him: "So Elijah, what are you doing here?" 10 "I've been working my heart out for the God-of-the-Angel-Armies," said Elijah. "The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed the places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me." 11-12 Then he was told, "Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by." 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 and quiet whisper. 13-14 When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there.

Elijah was scared, confused, discouraged, depressed and just plain worn out! We’ve all been there, haven’t we? We try and try to do the right thing but everything just seems to go against us. Just like Elijah we sometimes find ourselves looking in all the wrong places for God and wondering why we can’t find peace. I once read that Gigi Graham said “It’s hard to find God in a whirl-wind of activity or in an earthquake of frustration or a fire of over-commitment and busyness.” Yet, lots of times we can find him in “gentle stillness.” Ps. 46: 10 says “Be still and know that I am God.” That doesn’t mean that we just stop all of our activities. It is more like a quiet in our heart and soul when we get quiet and listen for a word from God.

To keep the devil from attacking us when we are tired and depressed we need to recharge our spiritual batteries. Spending much needed quiet time and reading Bible stories like this help me to re-fuel and recharge. I hope these passages and my thoughts will help you too. Be still….and grow in your Faith!