Years ago I was shopping for a stereo and learned an interesting lesson in the store. I cranked up the volume on a set of speakers and was impressed with what I heard. But the sales assistant told me that even a mediocre set of speakers could do that. The measure of a speaker’s quality, he said, was how low you could turn the volume and still hear quality sound. Then taking the volume all the way to zero, he slowly raised the level. Before the dial reached “1” I was hearing a full range of music from a quality set of speakers.
The same idea is true in the spiritual realm, as no less than Elijah from scripture can testify. This dramatic, powerful prophet reached a point of complete burnout. Emotionally, he was afraid of Jezebel, the wicked queen of Israel. Physically, he was exhausted. Mentally, he had become disconnected from reality. Volitionally, he had lost his will to go forward. Spiritually, he had given out.
When the Lord restored him, He started with the physical. He gave Him food and rest. Then He took him on a personal retreat – travelling for 40 days and nights to Mount Horeb.
Elijah came to a cave and set up camp there. And the Lord – tenderly – asked him, “What are you doing here?”
Elijah replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
Can you see in that statement how even prophets who flame out need some recalibrating with truth?
“Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.”
What follows is fascinating. First, God turns up the volume. We’re talking wind ripping the mountains and breaking rocks. Gale force stuff. But the Lord was not in the wind, nor was He in the earthquake that followed. Nor was He in the fury of the fire.
Then He dials down the volume to zero.
“The sound of a gentle blowing” (1 Kings 19:12, NASB).
A still small voice.
A soft whisper.
And the full range of the quality of the voice of God.
Why wasn’t the Lord in the dramatic? Because the purpose of this experience was to retool and recalibrate the man of God.
The point: Anybody can hear God in the wind or the earthquake. It’s in the gentle whisper that our spirits are recalibrated, and spiritual order is restored to us. It’s there that we discover our faulty conclusions and regain our sense of what is real and what isn’t. It’s also there that we regain our sense of direction and purpose. Elijah left the cave with a new awareness that he wasn’t alone. He also found a protégé named Elisha who would multiply his reach exponentially.
If you’ve hit the ditch in any area – body, soul, or spirit – and you need to recalibrate, you won’t find it in the noise – even noise for God.
Unplug.
Detangle.
Shut up and turn the volume all the way down.
Be still and start small.
Regain your ability to hear God in the whisper.
Then brace for impact. Your most fruitful days may very well lie ahead.
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You write so well and so inspirational. Thanks.
Karen Moon´s last blog post ..Happiness Sits on My Shoulder
Thanks Karen! Have a blessed day!
http://samsonaboloje.wordpress.com
This post brought back to me the profound silence I experience when in the mountains. I truly hear God’s voice, unmistakable in the stillness . . .
Beautiful post, Andy!
Martha Orlando´s last blog post ..Keep Calm and Carry On
A timely message for me. Thank you!
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