Listening In The Storm
Do you remember as a younger person learning to calculate the approximate distance between a storm and yourself, considering the number of seconds between a lightning flash and a rumble of thunder? Based on the speed of sound, the calculation revealed that a gap of 5 seconds between flash and thunder equates to 1 mile. From this, other distances could be calculated. This is helpful to know when outside, and being at risk of an imminent soaking! We may not at first detect the flashes of far-off lightning, but we cannot fail to hear the unmistakeable rumbles of thunder.
Like the electrical storms that we may experience in the coming year, we too, may go through a personal storm in 2024. What should we do, if a storm comes our way?
We need to wait and listen! Elijah was facing a storm in his life as he learns of the wrath of Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1 - 5), so he decides to head off for the mountain of the Lord (Mount Horeb = Sinai) to seek an audience with God. Once there, 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. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. (1 Kings 19:11 – 13)
God tells Elijah that He was about to pass by, but Elijah experiences a wind, then an earthquake, and then a fire. Elijah was expecting to meet with God, but these physical storm manifestations all seem to intrude on that meeting. Eventually, God speaks in a gentle whisper.
It is often the same for us. We know God will generally be with us, but the storms and circumstances of life can often obscure Him, and we become down-hearted. That is why we need to wait in expectation for His gentle whisper of encouragement and comfort. Listening takes concentration; an act of the will; time; a place free of distractions, but it is all worthwhile because God WILL meet with us and, like He did with Elijah, reveal the next steps we need to take.
