A Still Small Voice
I’ve been meaning to write this post for a couple of months now. I asked the Lord last week to give me time to write it. Now I’m at the beach—under a cozy blanket on the couch—watching storm after storm blow by. He sure has a funny way of answering prayers.
The passage I’ve had on my heart is 1 Kings 19:9-13, but the context of the passage is equally important to the story.
Elijah, a prophet of God, had just performed one of the greatest miracles of his ministry. He challenged the people of Israel, asking, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21). Then he challenged the prophets of Baal, saying, “[C]all on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” (v. 24).
The prophets of Baal called upon Baal all day long but heard nothing (v. 26-29). Then Elijah called the people of Israel to come close as he carefully prepared the altar of the Lord (v. 30). He even ordered the people to fill four pitchers with water and pour the water over the altar three times (v. 34-35).
Elijah prayed to the Lord only once, and fire fell from heaven, “consum[ing] the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and lick[ing] up the water that was in the trench” (v. 38). The people wondered at the sight, fell on their faces, and turned back to God (v. 39). Shortly afterward, Jezebel, the evil wife of King Ahab, heard of Elijah’s miracle and threatened to kill him.
The story I want to share picks up in chapter 19.
“Then [Elijah] came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He said, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’” 1 Kings 19:9-10.
Elijah was alone, tired, and afraid—running for his life—much like David when he ran from Saul. This part of the passage is so powerful and encouraging. Even the great men of the Bible grew tired, discouraged, and weary. I often pray and ask the Lord to use me, then become easily discouraged when I experience trials. Then I remember that He doesn’t promise it’ll be easy. He, instead, promises that He’ll be with us.
“So He said, ‘Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord was passing by!” (v. 11). This part is so fascinating to me. God’s solution to Elijah’s fear and worry wasn’t a sermon or a pep talk. It was His presence. When we’re tired, hurting, or afraid, our hope is not in a better outcome or changed circumstances. Our hope is His presence.
What’s next is even more amazing.
“And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking 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. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (v. 11-13).
Before the Lord passed by Elijah, a great wind preceded Him, tearing the mountings and shattering the rocks into pieces. That’s how incredible and powerful He is. But He wasn’t in the strong wind. Then came an earthquake. Surely the Lord is there! But He wasn’t in the earthquake. Then came a fire. This must be Him! But He wasn’t in the fire either.
He came to Elijah in the “sound of a gentle blowing.” Other translations say, “a low whisper” (ESV), “a gentle whisper” (NIV), or “a still small voice” (KJV). When Elijah heard it, he came out to the entrance of the cave with his face covered.
How often do we expect God to show up in a great wind, a mighty earthquake, or a raging fire, only to miss Him in the quietest, stillest of moments?
Sometimes I envy those who lived in Old Testament times. I wish I could’ve seen what Elijah saw when he called fire from heaven. I wish I could’ve stood in Moses’s shoes when the Lord parted the Red Sea. But how much greater the time is in which we live!
Because of Jesus, we don’t have to wait for the Lord to descend in a cloud or appear in fire. Because of Jesus, we have unfettered access to the Father, and we have His presence with us always in the person of the Holy Spirit. He speaks to those who belong to Him when we quiet ourselves long enough to listen.
He’s powerful enough to be in the wind, the earthquake, and the fire. But if you look for Him there, you may not find Him. For He’s in the sound of a gentle blowing, a quiet whisper, a still small voice. Our hope in hard times is just that—it’s Him. It’s always been Him. It’s in Him that we gain new strength and find the grace to keep going, knowing He sustains our every step.
