They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no reply, no voice, no answer. (I Kings 18:29, NLT)
Have you ranted lately . . . everyone seems to be ranting these days in my part of the world.
Here is Webster's version of the definition of rant:
Etymology: obsolete Dutch ranten, randen
Date: 1601
intransitive verb
1 : to talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
2 : to scold vehemently
transitive verb
: to utter in a bombastic declamatory fashion
First . . . who says bombastic except for Webster's dictionary? I would love to hear someone say bombastic in a normal conversation . . . I bequeath (another great word) the word bombastic to you!
Back to the subject . . . where I live ranting has become an oral emotional recounting of an event or events in order to express what occurs inwardly to an individual. We have . . . become ranters.
But then again . . . I Kings 18:29 is a great example of the ancient day ranters. Perhaps this is an ongoing problem with humanity. The prophets were ranting to Baal . . . they were on a rant of all rants . . . they needed a response . . . they needed to know that something was going to happen . . . they ranted until there was no rant left in them . . . and even then . . .there was no reply, no voice, no answer.
The three negatives: no reply, no voice, no answer . . . reflect emptiness and aloneness.
God is relational . . . He speaks to the core of our being . . . coming alongside of us . . . never forsaking or leaving us alone. In other words, our relationship with God is formed through the life He gives us. He will listen . . . even to our ranting . . . we can bring it to Him . . . just knowing His presence will transform the inward issues that produced the rant into peace . . . it is a process . . . that changes us.
Do you have a rant today?
Take time to listen to the reply, voice, and answer of God.
Stop.
Focus your whole being on God . . . listen . . . wait for Peace to come . . . listen . . . and know the presence of God.
Learning with you to take my ranting to God and listen,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)
