What are you doing here?

And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke 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;

And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice.

When Elijah heard the voice, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah? 1 kings 19:11-13 AMP

Last time I posted on this blog I was watching a storm outside my window. The storm has come and gone and caused havoc. We are now day 3 without electricity - a first world problem, I know, but still an interesting situation. This morning what has struck me is the quietness in our home, no music from the various iPads, no beeping of the washing machine when it finishes it cycle, nor the whirring of the dishwasher as it cleans the dishes for us and no gaming noises from the Xbox. Life has suddenly become simpler. There is now more room to hear that still small voice. The challenge is to stop and listen.

For everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words [in order to heed their teaching] and does them, I will show you what he is like:

He is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood arose, the torrent broke against that house and could not shake or move it, because it had been securely built orfounded on a rock. Luke 6:47-48 AMP

And then to learn, so we don't become like the man who built his house without a foundation.

But he who merely hears and does not practice doing My words is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, against which the torrent burst, and immediately it collapsed and fell, and the breaking and ruin of that house was great. Luke 6:49 AMP

So if God asks us the question, 'what are you doing here?' We can answer with an assurance that we are in the exact place He wants us to be. With Him. Listening to Him. Learning how to live His way. 

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me [Wisdom] finds life and draws forth and obtains favor from the Lord. Proverbs 8:34-35

Learning how to love Him through our words and actions towards others.

Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [youfavored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and youbrought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained andlodged Me,

I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Mewith help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me.

Then the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink?

And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You?

And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You?

And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me.

Matthew 25:34-40

Questions for today, if God called out to you and said. 'What are you doing here?' What would you say? When did you last take time to sit and wait for that small still voice? Sometimes it takes a storm and its ruins for us to sit and listen.