- 11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. 1 Kings 19:11-13 NLT.
- “The Israelite gods are gods of the hills; that is why they won. But we can beat them easily on the plains.” 1 Kings 20:23b.
- 38 “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. 39 Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God—something the law of Moses could never do … 44 The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord. 45 But when some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said … 46 Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. Acts 13:38-39, 44-46
Sometimes I look for Him in the wrong places.
Sometimes my mind limits where He can work.
Sometimes I feel like I can’t get out from under the weight of condemnation.
Note to self: He is the one who whispers gently. He has no limits and is victorious in the hills and on the plains. Everyone who believes in Jesus is declared right with God.
And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Acts 13:52.
Courtney (66books365)
Sixty-six books in a year 
I wrestle with feelings of regret and condemnation, too. Yet, if God must come after us with lightening bolt in hand, chasing us as if we we can get away, strapping heavy stones to our backs, and ignoring His own promise of salvation, then He is as fickle as mythical Zeus and the gods of wrath, envy, and retribution. It is easy to understand how my perception of self becomes small and squalid, but how is it that my image of our God gets so distorted?
:). I needed to hear this this morning. It wasn’t just a note to self, it was a personal whisper to my soul. Thanks.