Fight for It: A 21-Day DevotionalSample

Today’s Devotional:

I don’t know about you, but when I’ve been through an exhausting season, I can get pretty grouchy and irrational. Just ask my husband! In times like these, I’ve learned to give myself a “time-out” so I can pull it together before I make a scene!

And that’s exactly where we find the prophet Elijah in this passage. He’d just come out of a season of dramatic and grueling ministry experiences, and he was undone! He made his way to a dark cave where he hid all alone, essentially giving himself a “time out.” Or so he thought.

“Why are you here?” God’s voice echoed in the shadows. God knew exactly why he was there. But maybe Elijah didn’t. So with those four simple words, God invited him to unburden himself from the pain he was carrying. And as the prophet started to speak, the emotional floodgates opened, and all his deepest cares poured out. Elijah, a man of great prayer, used by God to deliver miraculous signs and wonders, was also a human being, just like you and me. Vulnerable to the same lies, fears, and weaknesses as anyone else.

In the stillness of the cave, at the end of Elijah’s speech, God extended another invitation. “Stand and wait for Me.” And Elijah did. As he waited, the dramatic display of wind, earthquake, and fire that roared past him may have been exactly what Elijah expected, but God wanted him to know that He wasn’t in any of that. After the chaos settled, softly and faintly, a gentle whisper came. Whispers require close proximity in order to be heard. And at that moment, God drew the weary prophet into a private moment of connection with just the words he needed to hear so he could step into his next assignment.

God is inviting you and me, too. But many times, we can’t hear Him over the chaos and noise of life. We get weary, exhausted, and want to give up. We even start to believe lies that create distance in our relationship with God. He loves us too much to leave us in such a state. It’s time to accept God’s invitation by stepping away into a quiet place and waiting for God to meet us with a whisper.

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Today’s devotional was written by Pastor Bethany Kush

Question:

• What would it look like for you to give yourself a “time out” to make room to hear God’s whisper?

A Prayer to ‘Look Up’: God, thank you for inviting me to connect with you in a deeper way. I want to eliminate the noise and distractions that keep me from you. Help me to find ways to hear you clearly in my life. In Jesus' name, amen.