The Still Small Voice

I Kings 19:9-18

Elijah was one of the greatest prophets of the Lord God in the Old Testament. He was such a mighty man of God that he was one of only two people that the Lord took to heaven without their seeing death (II Kings 2:1-11).  Even great men and women of God, though, have times when fears, worries, and depression attack, and their trust and faith waver.  This is where we find Elijah today.

Just prior to where our reading picks up Elijah had scored a great victory for Yahweh over the pagan priests of Baal and other false religious leaders on Mount Carmel (I Kings 18:19-40).  After Elijah destroyed these pagan religious leaders, Queen Jezebel sought to kill him, and that’s when Elijah started to panic, fear, and run for his life. His strong faith started to waver, and depression set in, so much that he was wishing he was dead (I Kings 19:1-8). Though he felt alone, afraid, and discouraged, God had not abandoned him. Elijah gets back up and continues to flee for his life, traveling a distance south to the mountains of Horeb, in the Sinai Peninsula, hiding in one of the mountain caves there.  It is here where our story picks up.

While Elijah is hiding in a cave, God speaks to him, asking what he is doing there.  Elijah responds with a very discouraging answer. Despite his remaining faithful to God, preaching His Word to the people of Israel, Elijah only sees the fact that the people have forsaken God, torn down His altars, persecuted and killed His preachers (vs. 10).  He felt so alone and discouraged that he felt he was the only one left serving God.  When we are depressed, lonely, and depressed we often can only see the negative.

God didn’t scold or berate Elijah for his fearfulness and wavering faith and trust, but He wasn’t going to leave him in that state, either. God told Elijah to step out of the cave on the side of the mountain (vs. 11).  He was going to give Elijah a special message.  As he stood on the mountainside, a strong wind, then an earthquake, then a fire occurred.  God was not in any of these three events, but the announced His soon arrival to talk with Elijah.  Yahweh’s self-revelation to Elijah came in a soft, quiet whisper.  Frequently His work in the life of a person or nation is done in a quiet, sometimes imperceptible way.  God doesn’t only reveal Himself in powerful and miraculous ways, or only in something big.  There are often times He comes in a gentle, quiet whisper.  Big evangelistic campaigns and revivals are great, and God certainly uses them to win souls and speak to His people, but they are by no means the only way He communicates with us.  More often it is in a still, quiet whisper in our hearts.

When God spoke to Elijah, again He asked him what he was doing, hundreds of miles from where his ministry was, hiding in a cave, and again Elijah gave the same response - the Israelites have forsaken God, and killed His servants.  He repeated the statement that he felt that he was the only one left who believed in Yahweh, and served Him.  He was lonely and discouraged.

God told him that there were others who had remained faithful to Him, even though the nation as a whole was falling completely away from Him (vs. 18). Perhaps we don’t know who or where they are, but there are others who remain true to Yahweh.  Even in the worst of times and most discouraging of places, God always has a remnant of true believers.

Even when we feel like it, God never leaves us alone.  He did not leave Elijah to face Jezebel by himself.  God’s provision and protection is enough for whatever we go through.  Trust in Him, putting everything in His hands.  Remember all of the times He has helped us and others.  Elijah had to just remember back a few weeks prior when God triumphed over the false priests and religious leaders of Baal.  We will know that we can trust Him for the future.