Hi, I'm Mike Whitmer. Thanks for joining me for today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. I entitled

This Devotional, Shift into Neutral. The man ahead of me at the car wash was on a mission.

He purposely strode to the back of his pickup and removed

the hitch, so it wouldn't snag the high-powered rolling brushes. He paid the attendant, then pulled

on to the automated track, where he left his truck and drive. The attendant shouted after him,

neutral, neutral! But the man's windows were up, and he couldn't hear. He

zipped through the car wash and four seconds flat. His truck barely got wet. Elijah was on a mission, too.

He was busy serving God in big ways. He had just defeated the prophets ofail in a supernatural showdown, which left him drained.

He needed time in neutral. God brought Elijah to Mount Horib, where he had appeared to Moses long

before. Once again, God shook the mountain, but he wasn't in the rock-shattering wind, earthquake, or raging fire.

Instead, God came to Elijah in a gentle whisper.

When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out to meet God.

You and I are on a mission.

We put our lives and drive to accomplish big things for our Savior.

But if we never shift down to neutral,

we can zip through life amidst the outpouring of his spirit.

God whispers, be still and know that I am God. Neutral, neutral.

Today's Our Daily Bread, devotional scripture reading is from 1st Kings chapter 19,

verses 9 through 12 and 15 through 18.

There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him,

What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied, I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.

The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your

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