- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 18,404
Smells and shadows
'IN THE SHADOW OF HIS HAND HE HID ME.' ISAIAH 49:2
After visiting the Balkan region of South-eastern Europe, reporter James Creelman wrote, 'I learned that the world's supply of rose oil comes from the Balkan Mountains. The thing that interested me was that the roses had to be gathered during the darkest hours. Initially this seemed to be a relic of superstition. But as I investigated I learned that 40% of the fragrance disappears in the light of day.' Do you want to make a difference in the world? Well, God wants your life to be really smelly (check out 2 Corinthians 2:14-16) and you'll need to let God work with you in the shadows before you come into the spotlight.
Before the prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven in front of the evil pagan priests on Mount Carmel, God told him to go and hide himself at a brook known as Cherith (1 Kings 17). The country was in a mess and people were dying but Elijah needed to sit tight in this craggy Nowhereville until God said the time was right for him to go and confront the King. Stories like this make us think differently about being in the shadow, don't they? Like Elijah you need to learn to embrace the shadows, enjoy the sidelines, to discover God and grow in them, then stride out confidently with something to say that's worth listening to!
written by Bob Gass
'IN THE SHADOW OF HIS HAND HE HID ME.' ISAIAH 49:2
After visiting the Balkan region of South-eastern Europe, reporter James Creelman wrote, 'I learned that the world's supply of rose oil comes from the Balkan Mountains. The thing that interested me was that the roses had to be gathered during the darkest hours. Initially this seemed to be a relic of superstition. But as I investigated I learned that 40% of the fragrance disappears in the light of day.' Do you want to make a difference in the world? Well, God wants your life to be really smelly (check out 2 Corinthians 2:14-16) and you'll need to let God work with you in the shadows before you come into the spotlight.
Before the prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven in front of the evil pagan priests on Mount Carmel, God told him to go and hide himself at a brook known as Cherith (1 Kings 17). The country was in a mess and people were dying but Elijah needed to sit tight in this craggy Nowhereville until God said the time was right for him to go and confront the King. Stories like this make us think differently about being in the shadow, don't they? Like Elijah you need to learn to embrace the shadows, enjoy the sidelines, to discover God and grow in them, then stride out confidently with something to say that's worth listening to!
written by Bob Gass
