Tag Archives: Elijah

Be Silent

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quiet pond

Be silent. Think before you speak. Perhaps if the apostle Peter had done that, he would have saved himself some embarrassment and trouble. When we learn to be silent and think before we speak, we can save our self some embarrassment and trouble, as well.

One day Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him up a high mountain. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white. Whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. As the disciples stood there frightened and amazed, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus.

Instead of worshipping in Christ’s magnificent presence, kneeling in silence, and marveling at the privilege of being on that mountain at that particular time with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, Peter decided he should say something. Even if it was the wrong thing to say.

What Peter suggested received a speedy rebuke from God. He told Peter to listen to Jesus, his son. Peter thought it would be a grand idea to build three shelters on that mountain. One for Jesus. One for Moses. One for Elijah.

Yes. Moses and Elijah were great men chosen by God to serve him. However, they weren’t God’s son. They weren’t to be worshipped. They were simply men used by God to serve him.

Then, just as quickly as Moses and Elijah appeared, they disappeared.

Sometimes, like Peter, we feel we must fill in the silence. We believe we should say something. Anything. Even if it is inappropriate. Have you noticed that?

Silence can seem to stretch on forever. It can feel uncomfortable. Most times, though, it is the best response. As God told Peter, listen to Jesus. It’s kinda difficult to listen when we are speaking.

Have you ever considered silence as a form of humility? Think about that a moment.

Often, when we feel we must fill in the gaps of silence, it is because of our pride. Perhaps Peter felt it necessary to step up and offer a solution to the situation on the mountain with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.

Maybe he thought that would show what a good problem solver he was. Especially since it didn’t seem James nor John were going to do anything to honor these two men from Israel’s past.

Satan is the enemy of silence. He wants to fill our minds with chaos and noise. Why? Because when our minds and lives are full of noise, we have a harder time hearing the Spirit’s voice. It is harder to hear what God wants to say to us.

When all we hear is noise, and we are contributing to that noise, it is difficult to interrupt those thoughts which we need to take captive and throw away and those we need to keep.

Learning to be still and be silent before God, think before we speak, and listen to God’s voice above all others can keep us from becoming like Peter, and speaking when we do not know what to say.

What do you do to make sure you think before you speak?

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Peter burst out to Jesus, “Master, it is wonderful for us to be here! Shall we put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah?”

He really did not know what to say, for they were very frightened. Then came a cloud which overshadowed them and a voice spoke out of the cloud, “This is my dearly-loved Son. Listen to him!” Mark 9:5-7 (Phillips)

You can find my March Inspire a Fire post here. Please stop by and read it.

I wish you well.

Sandy

Hearing God’s Voice

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

The story of Elijah’s despair after his defeat of the prophets of Baal to hearing God’s voice on the mountain is a lesson in hope to me. I often refer to this episode in the prophet’s life when I feel defeated, even after God grants victories.

From the huge victory God performed through Elijah, to God’s quiet whisper of encouragement, Elijah experienced emotions many of us face.

Through God’s power Elijah defeated four hundred fifty prophets of Baal. After such an enormous display of God’s sovereignty, Elijah fled for his life when Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him within twenty-four hours.

 

When Elijah fled, he prayed he might die saying, “I have had enough, LORD. Take my life.” Instead of granting Elijah’s request, the LORD provided miraculously for Elijah’s physical needs.

Once strengthened, the prophet traveled forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb; the mountain of God. There he went into a cave, spent the night, and heard God’s voice. During the night God asked Elijah what he was doing there. Elijah listed all the rejection he felt as God’s prophet, even though he’d been zealous for the LORD.

God told him to go stand on the mountain for HE was going to pass by.

In The Women’s Devotional Guide to the Bible the author tells how, like Elijah, we can listen to God speak to us today.

  • First, Elijah had to be available
  • Second, he had to be quiet
  • Third, Elijah had to get rid of distraction
  • Fourth, he had to take the time to hear God’s voice

Elijah found great victory through God’s powerful display. He also found comfort and strength in God’s quiet whisper.

When life beats us up and we want to quit, God is still the answer.

How do you make yourself available, quiet, and undistracted to hear God’s whisper?

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

 “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. 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. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (NLT)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Do You Have Enough Containers?

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by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Hello. My name is Sandy and I have a problem. I hold onto plastic containers and precariously pile them into the cabinet in case I need them later.

This may be a trait I inherited from my mother. I don’t know. I just know whenever Sissy and I visited Mom’s house, Sissy went through Mom’s plastic containers like a wild woman. She made sure each bowl had a matching lid and threw out whatever she believed to be unnecessary.

Yes. I know. My cabinets could use Sissy’s intervention, but I wonder … is it possible in all my messy saving of plastic containers, it might be biblical?

Hmmm …

Several scriptures come to mind when I think this may be true. Instances where it was a good thing to have extra containers.

Abraham was told he would have descendants too numerous to count. More than the grains of sand on the shore. No amount of containers would be able to hold them.

Do you remember the widow in 2 Kings 4?

Creditors were coming to take her two sons as slaves. She went to the prophet Elisha and he told her to go around to all her neighbors, asking for empty jars. Then he told her to fill them with oil.

When she reached her last jar, she asked her sons for another, but there were no more. That’s when the oil stopped flowing. The jars of oil were sold to pay their debts and save the sons.

Sounds to me like it’d be good to have extra containers in our cabinets.

God’s mercies are new every morning. There aren’t enough containers to hold them and there isn’t enough ink or paper to record them.

We are told God’s blessings will be poured out on us and we will receive a full measure,  pressed down and overflowing.

And finally, Paul tells us we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives.

Sissy may be disciplined enough to limit the number of plastic containers she stores, but not me. You never know when you might need more. And I’m thinking, it really could be biblical. 🙂

While I can’t say for certain whether having extra containers is a good thing, one thing I can say for certain is we’ll never have enough containers to hold all the many rich blessings God bestows on us each and every day.

Do you have more plastic containers in your cabinets than you really need, or do you hold onto a couple more … just in case?

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! Romans 5:3-5 (MSG)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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