Our fast paced culture just does NOT let up! Do you ever reach the end of the day feeling completely spent—but still not satisfied? As if, despite all your hard work, you still didn’t accomplish everything you wanted to? It doesn’t seem to change with how busy my schedule is either…I just STAY BUSY! In my frenzy of trying to tick off every box on my to-do list (in Asana) and reach every goal, I often miss the small voice of God whispering to my heart, calling me closer, inviting me to lean on Him and trust in Him. There is only one place in the Bible where God is said to speak in a “still small voice,” and it was to Elijah after his dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal in the verse below, where God told him that Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, king of Israel, was seeking kill him. Elijah ran into the wilderness and collapsed in exhaustion. God sent an angel with food and water to strengthen him, told him to rest, and then sent him to Horeb. In a cave there, Elijah voices his complaint that all of God’s prophets had been killed by Jezebel and he alone had survived. God instructed him to stand on the mountain in His presence. Then the Lord sent a mighty wind which broke the rocks in pieces; then He sent an earthquake and a fire, but His voice was in none of them.
1 Kings 19:12 (NLT)
12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.
So, What… for This Week?
After all is described above, the Lord spoke to Elijah in the still small voice, or “gentle whisper.” That gentle voice is also calling us to lay down our idols today and make Him our One and only. He’s already given us all of Himself—now, he wants all of us, too. What idols are you holding onto today and what fuels your striving? Is it a hunger for success, approval, self-righteousness, or self-worth? Do you need to feel loved and adored? Have you begun to trust your own dreams more than trusting Jesus?