[Darris McNeely] Are you trying to get ahead? Are you trying to advance in whatever your job might be? Trying to climb that ladder of success? A lot of people do. All of us in whatever we find ourselves engaged in our life, in our jobs, we want to advance, we want to improve, we want to do better.

One of the keys perhaps to that is little understood - the key of pausing, the key of stopping and reflecting. And in fact, the key to getting ahead and perhaps maybe just stepping back and getting in touch with God and letting God begin to work and talk with us.

This lesson is driven home I think in the example of Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11-12. Elijah had run from Jezebel after a great miracle had been performed at his hands as he defeated the prophets of Baal. And he holed himself up on a mountainside and he wondered what his future was going to hold. And he wanted to commune and talk with God and hear God's word for him. And God appeared and there was a great wind, but God's voice wasn't there. There was an earthquake. God's voice wasn't there. And there was a fire, but God wasn't there as well. Finally Elijah huddled and he heard a still, small voice. The margin of most Bibles says that there was a delicate, whispering voice.

It was after all the earthquakes, all the fire, and all the wind had subsided that Elijah then was able to hear God's direction, God's guidance, and it was after all of that subsided. There was a pause.

I think the lesson for all of us in our lives is in order to advance, we might first need to pause and step back and listen and commune and meditate and think and listen in the busy activities of our lives for what God might be telling us. And in those moments then we can draw closer to God and understand exactly what it is that we should do, what He has in mind for us, and understand His perfect and complete will.

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.