When God Pulls You Off the Main Road

Well, come on up to this ol’ front porch, friend, and prop your feet beside that flowerpot over there before the pesky lil’ mud daubers decide to rent the chair. I’m sho’nuff glad you wandered by. Sometimes life gets real quiet so suddenly we start wonderin’ if God misplaced our address. We were busy as an ol’ goat loose in a watermelon patch, and then all at once, nothin’.

Elijah sho’-nuff’ knew somethin’ about that.

After boldly confronting wicked King Ahab, God didn’t send Elijah straight into another great showdown. He said, “Go away from here... and hide by the Brook Cherith” (1 Kings 17:2-4).

Hide?

Why, that sho’-nuff’ don’t sound much like advancement.

Yet Cherith wasn’t no kind of punishment. It was sho’-nuff’ preparation.

There beside that little brook, God fed Elijah through ravens and taught him daily dependence. Before Elijah could stand boldly on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18:20-40, he first had to learn how to sit quietly beside Cherith.

Jesus later told His disciples, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). Sometimes God downright pulls us away from the noise because He’s fixin’ to do something deeper than what everybody else can see.

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us not to be anxious but to pray, and God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds. The waiting room ain’t wasted space when God is in it.

Friend, that closed door may not be the end. That quiet season may be God’s workshop. Lamentations 3:25-26 tells  us, “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him... It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” This here verse plum reminds us that there is goodness even in quietly waiting for Him.

Father, when You lead me into a quiet season, keep me from mistaking stillness for abandonment. Teach me to trust Your timing, receive Your provision, and let You prepare my heart for whatever comes next. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Alright now, friend, mosey on into your day and don’t fret if the road gets quiet. A hickory nut plum spends a mighty long time underground before anybody sees a tree. A fox den may look still from the outside while plenty is happenin’ underneath. Don’t go kickin’ open doors God has already gently closed. If He has you beside the brook awhile, drink real deep, listen real close, and trust that He’s plum gettin’ you ready for what’s around the bend.

With joy,

Gwen