Whispers

And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks 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 the sound of a low whisper.          1 Kings 19:11-12

Without a doubt it is a strange time to be alive.  Perhaps every generation has felt that.  I don’t know.  What I do know is that the world feels like it’s falling apart at an increasingly rapid pace lately, and it has left me feeling a little off-balance, trying to find some equilibrium.

As I was reading in Kings this morning, one of my favorite stories from Scripture (and you know I have a lot of favorites) is the story of Elijah.  I think I see too much of myself in Elijah.  He’s the guy who’s either up or down – there really seems to be no middle ground or balance for him.  I can relate.

Coming off a great victory, Elijah went for an intentional run, followed by a frightened escape run, followed by a physical and mental breakdown, and then a forty-day fast and wilderness journey.  We find him in a cave, alone and depressed.  Though he was just over forty days out from a huge spiritual victory, having seen an incredible demonstration of God’s power on Mount Carmel, followed by a miraculous end to a drought, which he himself had prophesied, Elijah was feeling unloved and misunderstood by God. 

Now this was certainly not the truth.  God had moved mightily in response to Elijah’s prayers.  He had sent an angel to feed and strengthen Elijah when his own energy was spent.  God had shown Himself faithful to Elijah in mighty and miraculous ways, but Elijah couldn’t rest in that.  And so, since Elijah seemed to miss God in the miraculous, He came to him in a whisper.

Generally, I am a fan of quiet communication.  I don’t really care for loud and chaotic environments.  I am not a “yeller,” and I don’t really care to spend a lot of time around people who are. 

Which is not ideal in my current job…  I find myself working in a busy and chaotic kitchen with a lot more people than I am accustomed to working around.  Presently, I wonder what I was thinking when I applied for this job!  (I was thinking that there are bills to pay, and the wage is decent, and I will do what I need to do.)   There’s a lot of yelling from one area of the kitchen to another, and my inability to effectively yell over the chaos is proving to be a liability in this setting.  It’s incredibly frustrating!

But there is one area in which I really would like some nice loud communication, and that is in hearing from the Lord.  I would really love an audible, “Go there and do that” from the Lord.  I think that would be great.

But so often, God whispers.

God does miraculous things, certainly.  He sent fire from heaven to completely consume Elijah’s sacrifice on Mount Carmel.  There was no question that was God.  He followed that up with a major downpour from a previously cloudless sky.  He did these things in clear response to the prayers of the prophet.  And yet still, the prophet quickly lost heart.

So the Lord strengthened him for survival, and then let Elijah wander for a while.  Elijah apparently fell into anxiety and depression, but he had a destination in mind.  He headed to Horeb, which the Scripture identifies as the “mount of God” (1 Kings 19:8).  In spite of what he had just experienced, the prophet, in his weariness, was having some doubts and confusion, so he went to the place where historically God had spoken.

After his forty day journey, though, Elijah got to Horeb and settled into a cave.  The Scripture says that he “lodged” there.  He really didn’t have plans for future ministry.  He was done. 

But God was not done with him.  God still had a plan, and Elijah was still a part of it.  God knew that He was going to give Elijah some help, though Elijah did not know this yet. 

So the Lord showed the prophet the kind of devastation He was capable of – wind, earthquake, and fire.  I’m not sure why He did it that way.  Maybe it was just to get Elijah’s attention -- to snap him out of his introspection and get him to look outward and upward.  Because once He had Elijah’s attention, then God whispered.

Could it be that the craziness we’re seeing in the world in this season is God trying to get our attention?  I know that for me personally, like Elijah, I’ve been spending far too much time in introspection.  I am keenly aware of some of the impacts the world craziness (mostly the national craziness) is having on me personally.  But I believe the Lord would have me “snap out of it” and look outward and upward.  I serve a God who loves me, and I’m surrounded by people who need to understand that He still loves them too.

I need to listen for the whisper.

Perhaps you, too, have been feeling overwhelmed by life on planet Earth 2022.  Maybe you’re hoping for God to do some big miracle and turn things around.  And maybe He will.  He certainly could.  But perhaps, He will simply whisper.  Give Him your attention, and see what He has to say.

Elijah thought he was alone.  He was not.  There were 7,000 other God-followers in Israel, and one specific one that God was preparing to walk alongside Elijah in the days ahead. 

You are not alone.  Remember the miraculous ways God has moved before.  And even as you feel the earth shaking, listen for His whisper.

… Just a thought…