Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
1 Kings 19
11 “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 the 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. 12 And 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. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
11 “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 the 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. 12 And 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. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Commentary:
19:11–12 not in the wind … not in the earthquake … not in the fire. The emphasis on Mount Carmel had been on God’s spectacular ways, particularly his use of fire. The emphasis here is on God’s quiet ways. He is not to be found in the spectacular elements of the storm outside the cave but instead in a low whisper. The Hebrew is literally (see ESV footnote) “a voice/sound, a thin silence” (qol demamah daqqah), i.e., the same “voice” (Hb. qol) that speaks to Elijah in v. 13. On this occasion (but not always; cf. Isa. 30:27; Nah. 1:3–5) God reveals himself in quietness.
Questions:
- God speaks with a WHISPER. Every believer has the Holy Spirit of God inside them, and He is always talking. When the Lord passed by Elijah on Mount Sinai, He wasn't in the wind, or the earthquake or the fire... God was in the sound of a "gentle whisper." Some translations say a "still, small voice." If you're waiting for God to speak to you through thunder, lighting or fire, you might be waiting a long time. He mostly speaks to us in the quietness of our hearts. This means we MUST quiet ourselves enough to actually be able to hear Him. How hard do you find it to make this kind of space in your life? How do we make room for God to speak to us? Do you feel like you are able to hear the whisper of God on a consistent basis?
- And when He speaks to you, it MUST be checked against the Word. God will never contradict something He has already said. But this means we must be students of Scripture. How well do you know your Bible? How would it look for you to take a next step in your life when it comes to the Word?
Prayer Topics:
- That you would learn to make space for God to speak.
- That you would develop a hunger for the Word.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
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