June 16 - The Peace of Christ Rules

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Kings 17-19; Colossians 2

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY

God’s still, small voice is better
than a concert with Earth, Wind & Fire! 

Again we see our NT reading illustrated by our OT reading. Paul is warning the Colossian church to ignore “unspiritual” false teachers who try to change behaviour from the outside in, rather than from the inside out (2:16-23). Adding human rules, or enforcing external disciplines, may modify our actions for the short term, but for the long-term, we must change the heart (parents often learn this the hard way). It’s the difference between being “conformed” and being “transformed” (Rom. 12:1). 

Paul is clear: Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence (2:23). If we sneak ahead to tomorrow’s reading (sorry, I’ve read ahead in the past so I know what’s coming), we’ll discover what does work: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts .... Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly (3:15,16). Tuning in to God’s Spirit brings about transformation and lasting change.

Elijah learned this, even before it was possible for God’s Spirit to live inside of us. I love these stories of Elijah, the power prophet. He specialized in the spectacular, endless food during droughts, raising a widow’s son from the dead, taking on and taunting the 450 prophets of Baal, calling down fire from heaven, then making rain fall on command.

But when things didn’t go his way, Elijah, like Moses, was given to extremes, “Kill me now!” (Actually Moses said that; Elijah said “take my life” - 19:4). So because Elijah was like Moses (they have since become buddies - check out the transfiguration - Matt. 17:3), God told him to climb Mt. Horeb, which is the same as Mt. Sinai, where Moses had his power encounter with God.

But in this moment, God decides to give us a foreshadowing of the way He will eventually lead His people, from the inside out, through His still, small voice. For contrast, He starts with a concert of “Earth, Wind, and Fire:” the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice (19:11,12).

"Lord, while I sometimes wish for a power encounter with You, I know that I learn more about intimacy, trust, and lasting change by listening to Your still, small voice, whispering within my spirit.”