When God Whispers

After the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.

1 Kings 19:12 (NLT)

          Elijah had just recently reached the apex of his ministry; not only had he proved God’s sovereignty, he also sentenced 450 prophets of Baal to death.

          Yet, within a matter of hours, Elijah is in a funk because of Jezebel’s hate mail. Suddenly, his face is on “Wanted; Dead or Alive” posters. He’s on 20/20 and Nightline as Samaria’s Most Wanted.

So he runs. After a pitstop under a broom tree and a bout of self-pity, God restores Elijah’s strength by providing food and water. After a refreshing nap, Elijah sets out for Mount Sinai. He travels forty days and forty nights through the hot, dry desert. His Facebook posts probably looked a bit like this: Day One: Sand. Day Two: More sand. Day Three: Sand as far as the eye can see. Day Four: Sand here, sand there, sand everywhere!

Not quite one of those destinations listed on the Traveler’s Choice Awards. When he finally reaches Mount Sinai, Elijah hides in a cave. That’s when God comes to meet him right where he is.  

God sends a windstorm that pummels the mountain, tossing rocks about like mere pebbles. But God is not in the storm. God sends an earthquake, but God is not in the shuddering or the shaking. He sends a fire, much like the one that flashed down on Elijah’s altar on Mount Carmel. Yet God is not in the hot, flickering flames. Finally, God whispers. That’s when Elijah recognizes God’s presence.

It’s easy to feel God’s presence when the stage is lit, the pews are filled, the band is playing, and the crowd’s response is deafening. Yet God’s power in our lives is revealed not merely in those moments when good things happen to us, or when success pushes up to the top. His power is also at work in those quiet, lonely moments when He speaks to our hearts and stirs our souls.

When the spotlights are off, the crowds have dispersed, the adrenaline surge has petered out, and the stage door bangs shut behind us, it’s tempting to fall into discouragement. We want the highs and not the lows, wishing we could go from mountain top to mountain top. When we give in to despondency, wishing God would wipe our hardships away, we’re opening the door to one of the devil’s most common tactics; self-pity.

F. B. Meyer didn’t mince words when he said, “Self-pity is the most grievous of all sins. Self-pity says to the Lord, ‘I don’t like what you’re doing in my life.’” Ouch!

Yet even in our loneliness, pain, or suffering, God’s presence and power are still at work, preparing us for the next task, the next phase of life. He comes to us, in our place of darkness, and whispers, “What are you doing here, (insert your name)? Go back to where you left off. I’m not done with you yet.”