Did you ever wake up one morning and wonder how you arrived at your position in life?
Whether you’re married, single, widowed or divorced, there are times that the life we are living does not reflect what we actually planned or strived for and we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory and very fearful.
From 870 BC to 810 BC, Elijah was called by God to be a prophet. The people had wandered away from God and were struggling, so out of His love for them, God sent Elijah to woo them back to Him.
Elijah followed God faithfully and often found himself in dangerous situations. One day, fear overtook him and he chose to run for his life. Elijah hid in a cave on Mt. Horeb, the “Mountain of God.” It was there that he had a powerful encounter with God.
“What are you doing here”? God asked him.
Elijah poured out his heart to God, sharing all of his fears and God responded in a powerful way.
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. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then, a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
(I Kings19:11-13) New International Version
God made His tangible presence known to Elijah. He was at his lowest point and God showed up in a profound way to encourage him to go forward with confidence that God cared and would always be there for him.
There are many experiences that happen through our life time that can cause us to want to “run”. Sometimes, life feels utterly out of control. Where do you go when your circumstances feel impossible? Do you disconnect from everyone you know and love? Life can be hard, don’t do it alone. Confide in a trusted friend. Allow God to meet you in those moments. Choose to listen for that small whisper. He is waiting for you.
Listening,
Carol Marchant Gibbs
Stories Changing Lives