A still small whisper... my devo today

1 Kings 19:11-13

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?"

Psalm 46:10-11

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

In Small Group tonight, we were talking about being frustrated, or in a state of anticipation of what God is doing in our lives. Are we more frustrated because He has not shown Himself in our current situations the way we want Him to, has He not delivered us from a trial yet? etc...

Or are we in a state of anticipation of what He is going to do next in our lives? Are we willingly seeking Him with our whole heart, and excited knowing that whatever it is that He does, it will be mind blowing?

This topic was picked from the One Prayer Series sermon by Pastor Perry Noble

As I was reading my devo today, I came across the passage where Elijah was seeking after God. He was frustrated because he had done so much, but it seemed pointless because he said that he was the last prophet (the one God was using) and people were looking to kill him. God's people were off doing sinful things, and not turning back to God.

Sometimes in my life, especially when life is busy, I get frustrated at God. I expect Him to show up and do big things, with loud bells and whistles. I have this yearning to do His will, to be the Man of God He wants me to be, but I get impatient and frustrated.

I throw my hands up, and get frustrated because I do not take the time to listen to God. Elijah witnessed 4 major shocking events; the Wind that tore the mountains apart, the Earthquake, the Fire and finally the Still Small Whisper. I feel that I expect God to show up in my life in a similar scenario. Well like an angle, or a heavenly voice... that sort of thing.

What I should be doing in those times is looking to God's Word, and spending more intimate time in prayer. God appeared to Elijah in a still small whisper.

I should be still before the Lord, and let Him guide me the way that is Perfect, not the way that is Convenient to me...

My one prayer this week is this:

Dear Jesus, please help me and the World to be able to listen for that still small whisper, that same voice that spoke the earth into existence and motion, so that I may be the Man of God you created me, and called me to be. Help the World hear that voice so that they may come into a relationship with You, and have and abundance of life in You. Thank You Jesus for willingly dying on the cross for our sins, and rising from the grave, so that each of us may have the chance to spend eternity with You. Amen.

"All Because of Jesus"

All Because Of Jesus lyrics
Casting Crowns


Giver of every breath I breathe
Author of all eternity
Giver of every perfect thing
To You be the glory
Maker of Heaven and of Earth
No one can comprehend Your worth
King over all the universe
To You be the glory

And I am alive because I'm alive in You

It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
That covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
I'm alive, I'm alive

Giver of every breath I breathe
Author of all eternity
Giver of every perfect thing
To You be the glory
Maker of Heaven and of Earth
No one can comprehend Your worth
King over all the universe
To You be the glory

And I am alive because I'm alive in You

It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
That covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus

Every sunrise sings Your praise
The universe cries out Your praise
I'm singing freedom all my days
Now that I'm alive

I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive

I think this sums it up...

STEVE FEE "Burn For You"
(I bolded some of the things that spoke to my heart)
ps hearing Kelly Mac and Mack Brock sing this song, really sends chills, good chills down to the depths of my soul...

There's a stirring in my heart
Unexplainable
There's a calling on my days
Undeniable, yeah
And there's a fire in my bones
Uncontainable
And it's causing me to burn
It's causing me to burn
It's causing me to burn
For you

I'll go anywhere
I'll do anything
At any cost for you
My King

There's a passion in my heart
For the world to see
Revival fires burn
A great awakening
And there's a raging fire inside
That's so high
And it's causing me to burn
It's causing me to burn
It's causing me to burn
For you, yeah

[Repeat Chorus 2x]

Oh, burn for you
Yeah, burn for you
To the ends of the earth
To the ends of the earth
To the farthest part
Til every heart has heard

To the ends of the earth
To the ends of the earth
To the farthest part
Til every heart has heard

There's a stirring in my heart
Unexplainable
And there's a calling on my days
Undeniable
And there's a fire in my bones
Uncontainable
And it's causing me to burn
It's causing me to burn
It's causing me to burn
For you

[Repeat Chorus 2x]

Burn for you
Yeah, burn for you
Oh, burn
Burn for you
Yeah, burn
Burn for you
To the ends of the earth

Yearning( what is on my heart...past month or so)

latley I have been too busy to blog. I have been keeping a daily devotional journal, and I have been working two jobs, training for races, racing, spending time with God, and reading BLUE LIKE JAZZ and now reading Pastor and Clayton King's book on relationships.

I am sorry to the few readers who have been reading and keeping up with my blogs.
I have been keeping up with yours (blog roll) but I have been so busy latley.

I cannot sleep, I am just yearning. Yearning to get closer with God. Things are great, amazing, and God's Grace, Love, Power, inspiration have been doing great things in my life.

Between reading 1,2 Samuel, and now 1 Kings, Blue Like Jazz, and Pastor and Clayton King's book on relationships... I have this yearning, deep inside of me. Its a deepening hunger and thirst to be filled more and more with Christ, and less and less of me.

I have been preaching more sermons to my house, and to my self, saying the many things that God is placing on my heart and soul. I have been conversing with close friends about the sheer AWESOMENESS of CHRIST. I have been seeking Wisdom, and yearning to be more like King David and King Solomon. I yearn more and more to be the Man of God that God wants me to be.
I yearn to be filled with God's wisdom, His understanding of my heart, and the world around me.
This One Prayer series is really messing with me. I cannot help but to talk with others, Christian and non-Christian alike about all the petty differences that THE CHURCH focuses on.
I yearn to break off the unnecessary traditions of my past, my pride and pre conceived notions about other Christians, or those who profess that they are Christians(but who are not really Christians). I yearn pull out the plank in my own eye about "religiosity" and to encourage people more about the Gospel.

I yearn more and more each day to be a minister in the Army, and to reach out the the lost people in this city (esp the homeless)

I yearn to see and speak with my old friends who are back home.
I yearn for the healing of my of Grandpa's knee, and for the clarity of my grandma's mind(dad's side)
I yearn for the healing of my Aunt Gayle's heart as she deals with a bad breakup.
I yearn for the healing and clarity of mind for my paw-paw, and the patience of my maw-maw as she helps him with all his ailments. I pray for health for her. (mom's side)
I yearn for the seeking of Christ for my aunt and uncle
I yearn for the move of God in my many friends lives's as they seek God, and for peace, and joy.

I yearn for this world to stop hating each other, and for us to embrace Christ.
I yearn to see more lost people come to Christ, and start a new life with Him.
I yearn to see us Christians learn to become dangerous for Christ, to step out of our comfort zones, and allow God's healing, and power to consume us, so that we may be a light in this dark world.


I yearn to be more like Christ...

Foundations

in response to my friend Sarah Field's note on Facebook...she wanted me to post my encouragement here as well....

MATTHEW CHAPTER 7

The Wise and Foolish Builders
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Here is what the Lord laid on my heart last night, and we talked about it. I will try to write it the way God's wants me to.

So many of us try to find the perfect relationship. We look in all the wrong places, and we listen to all the worldly advice from the "guru's." Sarah, like we talked about, not just in our own lives, but the lives of others, we have built our houses on faulted foundations.

When the foundation is not level, or it is cracked ( our perspective's and aspirations of a perfect relationship) the house that we build will crumble and fall. When we build our hopes and dreams around those things that do not come from Christ, we tend to find ourselves having to renovate our houses(our hearts, lives) time and time again. We try new things, go to great heights to make our houses attractive, or inviting. But all that is foolish like the fool who built his house on the sand. Only after countless "home projects" we realize that we have to tear the whole house down, and start again, which is dreadful, horrible, and leads us down a road filled with Satan's influence.

2 Corinthians 5:17
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

So when we let Christ be our foundation, His Word, His Love, we do not have to tear our house down anymore. It will stand the test of time because our foundation will be firm. We are a new creation, and we will always remain a part of Him and His "Hood" so corny but i love it!!

Only when we spend intimate time with Him...studying His Word and praying... will we become content in our singleness. Content in knowing that Christ has already picked out that one perfect spouse for us. We should also surround our selves with other strong believers who set the standard high, just like in your note. When we have those who shine for Jesus and lead by example in our lives, our lives will start to shine more for Jesus.

Proverbs 27:17
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"

1 Thessalonians 5:11

11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Hebrews 10:24
24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Maybe we should be spending more time making sure our foundation is firm and true instead of focusing on the decor of our houses.

Restless night before the Kerr Lake Triathlon

have not slept very well, and I have my race, but I have just been spending time with my Father.
I am spending some intimate time with Him, and He is speaking to my heart.

It is hard being an athlete, being an athlete in this world. The pressure is huge, the pressure to preform, especially when you have some talent.
My main prayer is that somehow, when I race, and the way I race, will reflect Christ. I hope that in speech and deed, "I will magnify the Lord, who is worthy to be praised" haha AWESOME SONG!!!!!!! I yearn, and hunger to be a witness, a testament to the Light, to Christ. I as well other athletes struggle and wrestle against my flesh, my pride. I will always be better than some people, and there will always be people better than me.


AS Jason Upton puts it "Worship is what you do before you come on stage, before you come to church."
I yearn to worship God while I train, while I race. I do that, not all the time, but I yearn to do that more and more each day.

Tonight, God is giving me a peace about my race. He is saying to me heart to continue to focus on Him. Even if I crash, even if I get a flat tire and I cannot repair it, He is there. Even if I get sick, or cramp up, get dead last, He is there. Even if I win my age group...He is there.
He is the reason for my racing. I am in this world to spread His love and Christ's message.
I know why I race, I race for Him. Yes I race because it is fun, and I am good at it, not great, but good.
But because I take the time to worship Him while I race, I get filled with His Love and Truth. I am spending more time praying now, and thanking God for giving me talent.
What I want most out of other people who see me race is this:
Oh yes, thats Nick Cook, he is filled with the Joy of the Lord, he loves Jesus.

What hurts the most, is seeing my friends who are better than me train so hard, and do so well, but they do it for themselves, not for God. It pains me because I see the potential in them to be great witnesses to the Faith, but they would rather ignore God, and make themselves idols.

That is why Christ compels me to race: to show others His Love, His truth, His passion. Not that I am a good athlete who can boast about my own talent. But someone who can Boast in Christ. The sheer life changing power of the Gospel and Jesus Christ by Grace through Faith.

Well it is 3:30 and we are leaving to go to Henderson around 4am. I hope God speaks to your hearts tonight through my three blogs as He as spoken to me.

Be Blessed.