The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still small voice within me.
Mahatma Gandhi
Go out and stand before me on the mountain, the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 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. When Elijah heard it he went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, What are you doing here Elijah?
I KINGS 19:11-13 NLT
The prophet Elijah had just been at the height of his career. He had come up against the wicked king Ahab and Jezebel, and had a victorious defeat over them and their prophets. Having had God work in his life in such a powerful and miraculous way you would think that Elijah would have had a sense of well-being and security, but not so. He had upset the powers that be, and they put out a contract on Elijahs life. Up one minute and down the next, Elijah stuck his tail between his legs and ran. Why is it that after the anticipation of some great event in our lives we often become depressed afterwards? I know that women sometimes after the birth of a child have post-par tem depression. How about graduation from school or college? We look forward to it for a long time and then it is there and gone in one day. Afterwards reality hits and life is more of a routine, the day in and day out kind of stuff. Marriage is another large event in our lives that leaves us with the rest of our lives to think about that day. I recall having several attempts at sobriety, striving for the one-year clean and sober mark only to fail. In September of 1999 I managed to get 365 days sober. I recall the next few days were anti-climatic as I realized that it was just one day at a time after that. All that effort, a big cake with one candle on it, and several friends to say, well done, hit the spot. But the next day life was quiet and all I had left was the still small voice inside encouraging me onward. God didnt speak to me through the big cake with one candle on it. God didnt speak to me through the bronze medallion that the group gave me. God didnt speak to me because I showed up to receive the recognition of my friends. I discovered that God spoke to me the next morning in a still small voice that said, I love you, and you dont need to take the first drink. Today I have a loving God in my life that doesnt shout at me, doesnt yell at me, doesnt condemn me when Ive stumbled, doesnt criticize me, only encourages me each morning as I listen for the quiet voice. A voice that gently says, I love you, and you are not alone. Elijah had become depressed and sought refuge in the cave in a mountain. His self-pity over whelmed him and he probably thought he was all alone with his feelings. God understood this and didnt yell at him for being down, but spoke in a gentle whisper of encouragement. It worked for Elijah and it works for me, God is doing for me what I could not do for myself ..JRE
We can go through all the activities of our days in joyful awareness of Gods presence with whispered prayers of praise and adoration flowing continuously from our hearts.
RICHARD J. FOSTER
Mahatma Gandhi
Go out and stand before me on the mountain, the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 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. When Elijah heard it he went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, What are you doing here Elijah?
I KINGS 19:11-13 NLT
The prophet Elijah had just been at the height of his career. He had come up against the wicked king Ahab and Jezebel, and had a victorious defeat over them and their prophets. Having had God work in his life in such a powerful and miraculous way you would think that Elijah would have had a sense of well-being and security, but not so. He had upset the powers that be, and they put out a contract on Elijahs life. Up one minute and down the next, Elijah stuck his tail between his legs and ran. Why is it that after the anticipation of some great event in our lives we often become depressed afterwards? I know that women sometimes after the birth of a child have post-par tem depression. How about graduation from school or college? We look forward to it for a long time and then it is there and gone in one day. Afterwards reality hits and life is more of a routine, the day in and day out kind of stuff. Marriage is another large event in our lives that leaves us with the rest of our lives to think about that day. I recall having several attempts at sobriety, striving for the one-year clean and sober mark only to fail. In September of 1999 I managed to get 365 days sober. I recall the next few days were anti-climatic as I realized that it was just one day at a time after that. All that effort, a big cake with one candle on it, and several friends to say, well done, hit the spot. But the next day life was quiet and all I had left was the still small voice inside encouraging me onward. God didnt speak to me through the big cake with one candle on it. God didnt speak to me through the bronze medallion that the group gave me. God didnt speak to me because I showed up to receive the recognition of my friends. I discovered that God spoke to me the next morning in a still small voice that said, I love you, and you dont need to take the first drink. Today I have a loving God in my life that doesnt shout at me, doesnt yell at me, doesnt condemn me when Ive stumbled, doesnt criticize me, only encourages me each morning as I listen for the quiet voice. A voice that gently says, I love you, and you are not alone. Elijah had become depressed and sought refuge in the cave in a mountain. His self-pity over whelmed him and he probably thought he was all alone with his feelings. God understood this and didnt yell at him for being down, but spoke in a gentle whisper of encouragement. It worked for Elijah and it works for me, God is doing for me what I could not do for myself ..JRE
We can go through all the activities of our days in joyful awareness of Gods presence with whispered prayers of praise and adoration flowing continuously from our hearts.
RICHARD J. FOSTER
