Elijah's Passing Wind - May
22, 2001
During the past few weeks as we have been preparing
for our new album I have been struggling with something.
The project will once again contain all original songs,
several of which I haven't finished writing yet. We take
the message and content of our songs very seriously so I
want to make sure that the words are God's and not my
own, that He will be able to speak through them to touch
lives. My struggle comes from not feeling His presence as
often or as powerfully as I would like. When Pam and I
were on the road before the accident, not a concert went
by that sometime during our sharing and singing I would
feel God's spirit and see Him moving among the people.
During our healing time I have longed for that type of
community worship experience, but except for rare
occasions, I just haven't felt it. As I prayed and shared
my burden with God, He put Elijah on my heart. I read and
reread Elijah's story in 1 Kings and there it was, God's
answer to my situation:
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. - 1
Kings 19:11-12
This portion of scripture comes right after God has
used Elijah in a mighty way and Elijah falls into despair
and depression. In his anguish, Elijah travels to Mt.
Horeb, the place were God had met Moses and given His
laws to the Israelites. Elijah, like me, was seeking
God's presence, and in verses 11 and 12 he finds it. As I
read those verses God spoke to my heart. It was as if He
said "You have seen me work in mighty ways in the past
and you will see those again in the future, but for now
all you need is my gentle whisper. In the times when you
don't think you feel my presence, I'm still there. That
is the time to be quiet so you can hear me whisper my
love to you."
We all go through those "dry times" when God's voice
seems silent. Maybe you are there right now. If so, be
encouraged - God is there too. Now is your time to listen
quietly and seek His presence where it can always be
found - in His living word, the Bible. The shouting may
be just around the bend, but now listen, don't miss the
whisper.
