Thula: Umhlahlandlela Olula Wezikhathi ZokuthulaIsampula

Be Still: Hidden perseverance

Announcement culture is real.

We live in a world where there’s pressure to be seen; we view other people’s highlight reels and feel compelled to announce our own carefully constructed version of ourselves.

One of the necessary elements of a quiet time is that it is done in secret. It’s hidden.

In 1 Kings 17, Elijah shows up in a place of prominence, in King Ahab’s court, where he proclaims a word from God that will have a profound impact on the nation, saying “There shall be neither rain nor dew, except by my word.”

That really is an announcement.

The next verse has God saying to Elijah, “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself.” Elijah moves very quickly from a place of prominence to a place of hiddenness.

Hide Yourself!

In the place of hiddenness, Elijah receives unusual provision from God, tucked away in an inaccessible place near a small stream, he is fed by ravens every day.

This was way outside of his comfort zone. He’s a world away from the royal palace; it’s a solitary place, in which he is totally reliant on God for nourishment and comfort. After a while, the stream dries up and Elijah travels into enemy territory where a widow miraculously provides for him. This presented yet another challenge for Elijah.

A man of God asking for help from a widow, who was herself dependent on charity was culturally taboo and extremely humbling. Yet it is in that moment of humility that God acts miraculously; he provides an unlimited supply of flour and oil for Elijah and the widow’s family to live on.

Three years after God first commanded Elijah to hide himself, God says to him, “Go, show yourself.” (1 Kings 18:1) Elijah goes back and announces that it will now rain.

Imagine how frustrating the waiting must have been at times?

In a culture that appears to value prominence, celebrity, recognition, and public affirmation, how well do we cope with the idea of hiddenness?

It’s in hiddenness where we learn about God, where we become dependent, comforted, and nourished by him, where we begin to trust that he knows what he is doing, where the lessons we learn are unique to us and sometimes mean we are fed by ravens and looked after by widows. Hiddenness prepares us for the moments when we are visible.

In hiddenness, we also learn to persevere: 1 Kings 17 is a chapter that spans 3 years: a prolonged period of hiddenness.

Romans 12:2 instructs us: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

If we are going to sustain a quiet time and, not conform to the patterns of this world, we must understand that one of the drivers of our culture, is immediacy.

We need to learn the art of perseverance in this culture of immediacy.

Write a list today, put it in your Bible, or somewhere you will look at regularly. Commit to pray regularly and consistently for the people and situations on the list, even if the breakthrough takes years.