…And behold, the Lord passed by, and
a great and strong wind tore into the mountains…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 a still small voice. -1Kings 19:11-12 (NKJV)
We had a great sermon on fasting
yesterday- to “tune” ourselves to be able to hear and discern God’s voice in
our lives. Sometimes we not only get so caught up in all of the busyness and
noise of the world, but even our own prayers and petitions become such a one-way
street that we don’t even give God a chance to speak- or for us to listen. As
the above verse points out, God doesn’t always use the awesome and magnificent
to communicate with us. Often it is just a soft whisper or some other means to
get His point across. Such was the case for me recently that I got so caught up
in what I want (or didn’t want) that I didn’t even bother to inquire to the
Lord until I was all worked up.
I’ve said it time and time again: we
need to shut our lives down on a regular basis so we can move forward in the
direction God wants us to go. This goes beyond our routine quiet time
(hopefully you are at least getting that) and regular worship. To really hear
and walk with God we have to get to a point where He is our sole focus. Fasting
helps to drown out the worldly distractions, but also our physical too. I have
noticed lately as I partook in a two week fast just how much more calm and
“still” I am- all of which has allowed me to finally give God His due chance to
reveal Himself to me. As human beings we all naturally share some of the same
struggles, though not necessarily all at the same time or to the same degree.
Perhaps you are struggling with
being single right now (the holidays aren’t always easy when you are). If so,
use this time to prepare and work on yourself so that God can put the right
person in your life. I sure wouldn’t trust my own daughter with a guy who
doesn’t measure up to God’s standards, so I imagine He wouldn’t either. Or
maybe it’s finances (join the club). Fasting and tithing aren’t just for Sunday
morning sermons and back in Old Testament times. They are a personal example of
our loyalty and trust in God and His Word. If in fact times are tight right now
financially, then there is no better time to lean on God and listen for
instructions on how to proceed forward. As our pastor pointed out yesterday, so
often people pull out at the last second from a faith move when they were right
on the edge of a major breakthrough. Finally, maybe it’s a career or vocational
move. Getting extremely quiet before the Lord for a significant period of time
is essential when making such a big decision. Yes, God opens doors for us; but
we need to be paying attention to the road too to avoid any hazards along the
way.
So wherever you find yourself today-
flying or falling, on the clouds or in the valley, just know that our God is a
God of the extraordinary; but sometimes that means in the most humble of ways. Something
as simple as denying ourselves temporary pleasures now can pay off in eternal
ways down the road- but only if we are willing to listen.
To everything there is a season, a
time for every purpose under heaven –Ecc 3:1
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