“And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.”- 1 Kings 19:12
“Be still and know that I am God.”- Psalm 46:10
In Chapter 4 (“A Startling Realization”) of AHA, Kyle Idleman recalls that in the mid- 90s a certain type of artwork became quite popular. If you looked at the picture just right, you’d see a hidden picture. Try as he might, Kyle never could see anything. A friend told him, “You really have to want to see it.”
Perhaps we’ve been trying to live out our Christian life following our ministry downsizing or vocation loss from our own power and strength rather than out of the Holy Spirit’s power. When the Holy Spirit opens our eyes, we see something we’d somehow missed before.
But in order to make this startling realization, Pastor Idleman notes, we need to have some time alone:
“If you’re in need of a startling realization in your life, begin with solitude and silence. You may find that God has been trying to get your attention for a while but you hadn’t been able to hear Him. Not because He hasn’t been loud enough, but because you haven’t been quiet enough.”
When God spoke to Elijah, He spoke in a low whisper. The NSRV translates it as a “sound of sheer silence”. While silence and solitude don’t seem to be in our nature, they are all that is standing between us and a startling realization.
Today’s question: How has God whispered to you following your vocation loss? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Flip the switch”
