“And behold, 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.  So it was, then Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave.”  1 Kings 19:11-13

One thing I have noticed with being on a lake of a larger size is that the water is often more apt to be calm in the early morning or late evening.  There’s something about the sun being high in the sky that heats up the air currents, which begin to swirl around across the top of the water.  We know such movement as the wind; a wisp of air that we can only feel when it blows against us.  Once I became aware of this pattern, sure enough, after noon on most days, waves would begin to grow and topple onto the shore with more vigor and power that was driven largely by the wind.  By late afternoon and into early evening, as the sun dips down in the sky, the air currents begin to die off and the lake slowly returns to calm, barring a storm or windy weather pattern blowing in.

It is in those calm waters that I have found it is the easiest to hunt for rocks.  The distortion is
minimal because the flow of the water is so gentle and quiet.  The sun is usually low enough in the sky to pleasantly warm you with its rays. The water becomes like a window that you can peer through.  On days when the waves are raging, the picture becomes more like an old TV that is experiencing static-filled waves that persistently visit the screen.  Wave upon wave crashing into the shore line distorting the edge of the water where the rocks lie.  While you can see the show you are watching, the fuzzy lines make it hard to follow along the details of the program.

When very windy days come, the waves not only crash against the shore in a constant beat with their foamy white froth, but they often stir up all the sand.  The water turns from clear to a sandy hue that blocks any stones from being seen.  The cloudy water acts as a barrier to the eye keeping virtually all stones out of sight. On such a day, between the marching waves and muddied waters, there is little hope of finding anything in the shallow edges of the lake.

And so it is with much of life, understanding the current (and when possible, the upcoming) conditions is an important first step before you embark on any journey.  The same can be said about being in God’s word.  It is important to understand the emotional climate of your soul and your life.  Looking at His words when our environment is calm is when we are more apt to see His truths and how they might apply to our lives.  It is in the undisturbed, gentle rhythm where we will find those principles and axioms with more ease and own them with less fight.  In that freedom from the motion of our hectic lives, we are more willing to ponder deeper, perceive more thoroughly, linger longer, and trust more easily.  It’s in the calm moments of life where you can truly train your eyes on how to spot and understand the Scripture that God brings to your attention. In those calm waters with less distraction, debris and obstacles, you will be able to develop and cultivate the best ways for you to search.

There are several Scriptures that encourage us to rise in the morning–in the calm of the day–and engage in prayer and contemplation of His ways.  It is often when life is the quietest; where excitements and disturbances have yet to arise.  “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.” Psalm 5:3.  And though, for some, mornings might be the calm, really it can be anytime of the day–wherever you find solitude to be present and available.  Maybe it’s lunch.  Maybe it’s on the drive home.  Maybe it’s after dinner or before bed.  “As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.”  Psalm 55:17.  The key is taking advantage of the still waters of your soul and giving that time to God and His word.  Searching when you are best able to look and find.

As with much of life and skills, what you practice routinely becomes second nature, especially in tough situations.  If your mind and eye becomes well trained to seek and find His words to help guide your ways in the calm, your eye will automatically do so despite your mind racing in a trial or tragedy. The crashing power of the moment, or moments, can make it very hard to see and understand. Things are distorted by the shock, fear or pain making it hard to stand, move forward or rely upon the unseen.  Emotions run high and rationality is constantly trying to reset the balance of what life has left reeling, even though it cannot make sense out of the moment.  It is in that time when you will find that a well-trained eye and mind will bring comfort, wisdom and shelter to your soul.  You will learn how to maneuver in those waves…because of what you have learned to practice in the calm.  Those lessons will carry with you in the eye of the storm…

There is rarely a day on this lake that there isn’t some level of wind. Because of that truth, both the morning and the evening time have become even more valuable in hunting rocks. Life will always have some current flowing through it.  Carving out time to search and understand His words will mean looking for those quiet, less intense times in your day–wherever that might be.  If morning is your best bet, then consider some solitude and time to begin training your eyes and mind to mine the gems of His truth.  If it is evening, do the same. Whenever, wherever, but remember, when the sun rises and the day heats up, you are more likely to be battered by the normal winds of life–loosing focus, strength and desire.  Life, and its often invisible currents, is demanding.  Truly, there’s a reason why contemplation is encouraged in the morning…it is likely when your internal waters are the most calm, refreshed and able.  It is when the winds of life generally have not yet been stirred up to blow.

Don’t wait for a storm to seek Him out, for in the midst of curling and swirling waves that have the power to move things with ease, you will struggle to stand.  Instead, find Him in the still and calm, for it is there you will find His truths much more able to enter your life preparing you for what lies ahead.

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”  Psalm 55:22