Scripture Study: 1 Kings 19:1-21
Dear Reader,
I’m not sure how my words will find you when you read them, but I pray that they find you well and bring you hope and perspective.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness ‘night.’ And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day” (Genesis 1:1-5 NLT).
You see, the earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters; but none of this hindered the power of God from creating what He was about to create. He stated, “Let there be light,” and there was light. “And God saw that the light was good. [So] he separated the light from the darkness [and] called the light ‘day’ and darkness ‘night’” (Genesis 1:3-5 NLT).
Dear Reader and broken one, the cave can be a dark place, but the voice of God will bring you comfort. The cave can be a dark place, but God can use it as your refuge and place of safety. Isn’t it a beautiful thing to know that God can turn a cave into a space of comfort? So, let us look to Genesis to gain our inspiration and understanding of how He creates beauty in such a dark place. He speaks into darkness, and it has to recede; He calls forth light, and we begin to see. You see, the voice of God cannot be restricted by the confounds of the earth, nor can it be restricted by the confounds of its movement. The earth quakes and the mountains fall into the sea, but none of this hinders God’s movement and the sound of His voice.
As we enter into the cave and begin to see things from Elijah’s perspective, let us acknowledge the presence of God and the beauty of His comfort. We find that His Spirit hovers as He creates and that His voice speaks into the darkness of our situations.
Dear Reader and broken one, I assure you that God is not removed, and I assure you that His voice will do for you the same thing that it did for Elijah. His voice brought him peace and comfort, and His voice empowered him to continue his journey and to fulfill his purpose.
You will survive your circumstance and valley because the voice of God will bring you out, and you will conquer this mountain because God will give you the strength to climb.
God doesn’t want you to feel the shame of a mental health stigma, nor does He want you to become heavy laden under the burden of one, because one’s brokenness doesn’t keep them from the presence of God, nor does it exclude them from the shadow of His presence. He desires that you will know wholeness in the power of His strength, and He desires that you will know courage in the power of His might. Dear Reader and broken one, our weakness doesn’t make us weak; it just gives God room to be strong.
God will not be removed. May the power of His voice bring you freedom and may the heaviness of this stigma be lifted. Dear Reader and broken one, I want you to know that you are not alone, and it is my prayer that this column will make you feel as though you have a place to belong and somewhere to call home. I also pray that you will be surrounded by an adequate system of support and one of sustenance. May it be one of quality and quantity, and may you know the peace, empowerment, and comfort of God’s voice.
I thank you for staying connected with us during the ‘God is Not Removed’ series. I also pray that our time together and conversation has been one of substance and of value to you.
Blessings and favor to you until next time and until we meet again. ❤️🙏🏿
Share your story and prayer requests at SenecaHoward.com/contact, and our team will be sure to keep you lifted in our prayers.
P.S., Yours Truly,
The Writer Seneca Howard
www.SenecaHoward.com
Seneca Howard, The Writer
About Seneca Howard
Seneca Howard is a pastor, author, mentor, and motivational speaker who inspires the lives of others through crisis ministry, counsel, and personal development.
