A Year 4 Transformation: Day 18-Speak to My Mind

Passage of the Day:

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” ¹¹ 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. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” – 1 Kings 19:9-13

Reflection:

Whenever I am depressed, I ask the Lord for some sort of sign. Whether this is an answer to prayer, a Bible verse to get me through a day or good news, I just want to know that everything will be okay. This is the context of Elijah, on the verge of losing the will to live due to a death threat. After experiencing an amazing spiritual victory at the end of 1 Kings 18, Elijah became overwhelmed by the circumstances of life. This when Christians desperately want God to speak directly or indirectly to your mind.

Prayer Action:

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;  the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. ⁴ The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. ⁵ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. ⁶ He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, Sirion^[b] like a young wild ox. ⁷ The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. ⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. ⁹ The voice of the Lord twists the oaks^[c] and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” – Psalm 29:3-9

Renewing Your Mind:

The book of Deuteronomy is often called the second law which serves as a recapitulation of the Ten Commandments. Moses’ words are a subtle attempt to tell human beings that we are forgetful by nature. Subsequently, some people quickly forget what they are instructed to do. This is why Jesus regularly spoke, “don’t just listen, but do what I say.” If only life was this easy. According to the apostle Paul, God speaks to the minds of those who slow down enough to see God’s visible qualities in creation, Romans 1:18-20.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

I discovered the attached song in the middle of the Coronavirus epidemic. This song became part of my daily routine and prayer during this crisis, desperately waiting for God to speak to me.

by Jay Mankus