By Pastor Doug Stauffer
For many people, most days are spent in the familiar routines of life, without extravagance or pageantry. Not every day comes wrapped in the emotion of Easter or the celebration of Christmas. Many days can be relatively predictable and constant, and the month of June displays this characteristic. It doesn’t boast the glory of Christ’s birth or the deep reflection of His resurrection. Aside from Father’s Day, it simply exists—quiet and unremarkably constant. Nevertheless, God is no less present during June’s seemingly “humdrum” days.
Elijah discovered that God shows up in ways that we least expect Him. Following a dramatic showdown on Mount Carmel, he fled in fear and discouragement. While hiding in a cave, he encountered God, not in the extreme, but in the stillness. The Bible tells us in 1 Kings 19:11, “And he said, ‘Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.’ And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks 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: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”
The Bible says that the Lord was not in the wind, not in the earthquake and not in the fire, but He did show Himself to Elijah in a “still small voice.” That whisper was more potent than all the noise and hoopla we expect from God. Elijah’s encounter with God was personal, intimate and surely sufficient.
Many Christians find it easiest to sense God during the highs and lows—at weddings and funerals, during revivals and tragedies. But what about on a Tuesday morning when the coffee has turned lukewarm and the to-do list seems never-ending? What about while folding laundry or sitting in traffic on Highway 85, trying to get through Crestview at 5 p.m.? Is He not there, too? Yes, God is the God of the ordinary days and the unremarkable events.
The Bible is filled with people who encountered God in quiet moments:
- Ruth gleaned in a field and eventually met her redeemer (Ruth 2:3-4).
- Moses was tending sheep when he saw the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-2).
- A boy brought lunch that Jesus used to feed thousands (John 6:9-11).
- A woman came to a well for water and met the Living Water (John 4:6-26).
In the Gospels, we read of Jesus during seemingly routine times: walking, talking or dining with His disciples. He wasn’t always performing miracles; sometimes, He was simply present—teaching, praying, or resting. Those ordinary moments prepared His followers for their extraordinary missions that would follow.
Perhaps we need that reminder this month. God is not waiting for us solely in a spirit-moving church service or during a life-altering crisis. He meets us in the mundane, speaks to us during our morning routine, and walks with us through every ordinary activity.
I have found that my spiritual strength is not built solely on mountaintop experiences. It is formed in the valleys, on the plains and through life’s routine activities. When we pray without emergencies, read Scripture because we want to, or serve without applause, growth occurs exponentially.
Lamentations 3:22–23 tells us that God’s mercies are “new every morning.” Not just on holidays. Not just on Sundays. Every single day! So, this June, let’s listen for the “still small voice.” Let’s choose to focus on God during the ordinary and not just the extraordinary days. We might discover that those are the moments He chooses to shape us the most.
