That is what the enemy wants when he whispers in our ears. He wants us discouraged. He wants us thinking that somehow we deserve better than the story God is already writing. He wants us thinking that somehow God has erred in where we are. As if he has fallen asleep at the wheel of our life and we should take over the driving. A friend once told me if God is your co-pilot then you are in the wrong seat!
But hallelujah God does not give us according to what we deserve. He understands our feelings. Here was His response to Elijah:
"Go out and stand before me on the mountain," the L ord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the L ord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the L ord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the L ord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the L ord 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. 1Kings 19: 11-13 (NLT)
When we are at our end we can feel as if our life is being torn apart by a violent windstorm. We can look into that storm and wonder where God is. God is not in the wind beloved. We can experience such dramatic shifts in our lives that it can feel as if we are going through a 10.0 earthquake. We can look into the tectonic plates of our existence and wonder where God is in it. God is not in the earthquake beloved. Sometimes the pain in our life is like a raging fire that no one can control. I am sure Joseph felt that way for 12 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. I am sure Elijah felt that way here in this story. I am sure that we all have felt this way as well and we look into the flames and cry out for God but God is not in the fire beloved. What is God saying to us today?
The extent of our negative feelings is directly proportional to how much we focus on the problems instead of the problem solver. Every day that Joseph spent wondering why he was in jail was another day he moved further away from God. If you look at the wind you will not see God because He is not in the wind He is above it! Peter learned that when he walked on water. As long as he looked to Jesus he was conquering whatever was around him. But then he took his eyes off of his problem solver:
But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. Matthew 14: 30 (NLT)
When he saw the strong wind. If we choose to have a horizontal focus that concentrates on our problems then we too shall sink in them. Elijah was sinking in them. Joseph must have during the 12 years in prison. We all sink in our own problems from time to time. Another time the disciples were on a boat crossing a lake when a violent storm hit.
But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Mark 4: 37 (NLT)
