The thing about being in the midst of a storm is that it is LOUD. There is wind, there is rain, there is thunder, lightning, and possibly some hail pounding around you. Ironically, when you are in the middle of the storm, you can't hear the sirens going off. The storm can be so loud that you can't hear the thing that is telling you to go inside and seek shelter. In the non literal storms of our lives, the loudness can be any number of things. It can be politics telling us how we should act or think about things. It could be represented by movies and pop culture that shape our view of reality. Social media can blare at us shouting that we are failing because we aren't measuring up to other people's picture perfect posts. At times that loudness could even come in the form of friends and family around us; bestowing all of their wisdom and knowledge upon us and telling us how we should be handling our storm and calming the waves around us. All of the loudness of our storms can also keep us from hearing the voice of the one true source of help and peace. In 1Kings 19, Elijah was in the middle of a storm. He was literally running for his life and seeking shelter with God. God showed up and taught us all a lesson in seeking Him and listening to His voice. So, Elijah is standing on the mountain in the Lord's presence. The Lord passed by and there was a great and mighty wind tearing at the mountain and shattering the cliffs. There was an earthquake and a fire. But the Lord was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. After the fire, there was a voice. Obviously at this point Elijah has taken shelter in a cave, but when he heard the soft whisper, he covered his face, came out of the cave and encountered God. God was in the voice and, as soon as Elijah was ready to hear it, God spoke to him and told him exactly what to do and who to anoint to help him. God wasn't in the storm. Don't get me wrong, He is with us in our storms. He never leaves us. But He is not in the storm. That is not God's character. God's character is not a loud, earth shattering storm but rather it embodies the fruits of the spirit. He IS joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. God is not the storm around us, He is the peace amidst us during the storm; despite the storm. We must have a trained ear to hear his voice over all of the noise and chaos around us. Like a sheep, we must know the shepherds voice to know which way to go. How do we accomplish this? I feel as though this answer is becoming redundant in my life. We have to spend time with Him, cultivating a relationship with Him by studying His word and talking to Him in prayer. The more that we do this, the more we will know His character, and the more we will recognize His voice above all of the others. His voice that speaks peace to our storm. This song has been resonating in my heart today.
Peace be still Say the word and I will Set my feet upon the sea Till I'm dancing in the deep Oh peace be still You are here so it is well Even when my eyes can't see I will trust the voice that speaks
Peace over me
His voice speaks peace over us. Even when we can't see the answer, when we can't see an end in sight, He is speaking peace over us. We just need an ear that is in tune with His spirit to hear His voice and know that "He is here, so it is well". What is the noise around you during your storm? Are you listening for God's voice? If you are, I promise He will bring you peace. Join Amanda and Kristy this week as they discuss quietening the noise that distracts us to find the voice that helps.
Peace be Still: Bethel Music featuring Lauren Daigle- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUpKZz0Nm7c
You can listen to this weeks podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or on our website at www.thesendhelppodcast.com/podcast
