Hello Frost Fund family!

I thought a great way to start our weeks might be reflecting on a little encouragement and virtually supporting each other. I am going to do my best to share these weekly moving forward in an effort to remind each of you how important you are and to keep all things in perspective. So, here is a bit of encouragement taken straight from my journal as I reflect on certain scriptures in the Bible. Whether you currently have a relationship with Jesus or not, perhaps some of the thought contained in the messages will help you in one way or another!

“As the Lord approached, a very powerful wind tore the mountains apart. It broke up the rocks. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. After the earthquake, a fire came. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire. And after the fire, there was only a gentle whisper.” – 1 Kings 19:11-12

God can reveal himself and his voice in whatever way he chooses to, not always the ways we expect him or in the places we might be looking for him. Elijah, discouraged and anxious, ran away to a cave. He wanted to get away from the dangers and sadness around him. God met him in this vulnerable place and simply asked him, “What are you doing here?” (1 Kings 19)

Elijah shared his concerns and defeat with God, before God responded, “Go out of the cave and to the mountain. I am going to pass by.” (1 Kings 19)

Elijah saw an earthquake, a windstorm, and a blazing fire. But that was not where God chose to show himself to Elijah. He instead appeared to him in the still small voice that followed all of these more massive events. I believe that this should remind us to be careful of where we look for and assume God to be, so we don’t miss where he actually is in our lives. That we don’t distract our eyes and ears from seeing and hearing him where he already is, not where we want or expect him to be.

We often expect God to show up in big and dramatic ways, when sometimes he appears in the simple act of listening and obedience. God can put on any display he wants to get our attention, but sometimes he likes to show up in the calm, so that we listen to him and begin to separate our human expectation of him from who he truly is.

I believe our desire shouldn’t be to have God always move in mighty physical ways around us, but in mighty intentional ways within us. When he can change our hearts, even in ways others might not see, we can learn to quite our fears and build confidence in who he is and what he has for us, not what we imagine him to be or what we think we lack.

So my question for you today is – if God chose to speak to you today in a gentle whisper, is your mind, sight, and heart calm enough to listen and hear?

Thanks for reading. If this encouraged you – feel free to share with a friend.