A STILL SMALL VOICE
1 Kings 19:9-12
“And there he went into a cave and spent the night in that place; and behold the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here Elijah?’ So he said, I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts, for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am alone left, and they seek to take my life.
Then, He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains, and broke the rocks in pieces 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 a still small voice.”
Do any of those words from the Bible sound familiar to our today? We have had hurricanes-one right after the other in the southern part of the US. We have heard of earthquakes in other countries. We have seen the pictures of the fires in the west. Maybe you are one of the ones who has had your world turned upside down and have come back to nothing left by fire, earthquake or hurricane. Someone you may know or a family member have been in a pile of rubble trying to survive.
This pandemic has touched each one of us also. At the time of this writing, I have to get tested for the coronavirus. Someone, I know tested positive. I am fearful! What if I test positive? Will I be one of the ones in the hospital? Will I miss out going to visit my grandbabies in Virginia for Thanksgiving? Will I be one of the many who have lost their lives to the invisible force that has held all of us captive, not just in our country but also around the world!
In the verses above, God’s prophet, Elijah had been in a depression. The verses before tell us the process God took to take care of him physically. I love those verses! An angel touched him and told him to eat, drink and rest. Read those verses before this passage. There is so much we can glean from them. He traveled for forty days and nights. He went into a cave in mount Horeb. He had been running for his life from a force that was threatening to kill him because he was a prophet of God. God met him where he was. In his depression. God came to Elijah. There are too many times that we feel alone just as Elijah felt. God meets us where we are in our lives, whether: we are living in sin-we are left homeless because of fire, earthquake, hurricane-we feel fearful-we feel hopeless-we feel alone-we are depressed. On the news, they reported that 40% of Americans were depressed in the month of September, 2020. That is almost half of the population in our great United States! Everyone has these feelings at some time or the other. Our most vulnerable, the elderly and those at risk, have been in their homes for 8 months. My dad has done so well. He has kept himself busy doing puzzles, watching westerns & riding his new scooter to get his mail. Think about yourself. If you were confined like our elderly and at risk, how would you feel? What would you need or want from another person? Write down your thoughts. Then, do something for one of those who are confined.
God led Elijah to this cave in mount Horeb. God told Elijah to “go out.” Elijah stood on a mountain top. Elijah knew what God could do. (Read the chapter before to see the magnificent things God had just done.) God sent a strong wind, enough to break the rocks of the mountain. God sent an earthquake. Then, God sent a fire. But yet, these verses tell us that Elijah did not hear God in any of those three things. Can you even begin to imagine what all that would have been like? When God sent all these things, I am sure it was a magnificent “show.” (I don’t know about you but I might have been getting back into that cave!) Elijah stood there and experienced all of those noisy, boisterous, earth shattering things. But yet God was not in those forces. It was not until all got quiet, that Elijah actually heard God. Have you ever gotten up in the middle of the night and heard nothing? Sometimes it seems I can hear my heart beating at those times. When all is quiet, it is so soothing! My thoughts are so much clearer. When I do hear something, maybe a coyote, it sounds so clear. Do you think that is how Elijah felt?
Our country and other countries, have had to stop-stay home-be with family-had time to just think-slow ourselves from the grueling work schedules we have. I feel that God has allowed this pandemic to help us remember what is truly important in life. This time has helped us evaluate our lives and how we are living them. There are so many struggling without jobs and their businesses have gone under. I don’t want to devalue any of that. Life is hard for many and their life has been turned totally upside down. There has been so much outpouring of love towards others. Help for the weary hearted. The pandemic has given the people with the means, to help those who are desperate. God’s power has worked through those who have helped those in need. During this pandemic, it has been reported that a record number of Bibles have been sold. Souls are searching. Souls are realizing that there is more to life than the hustle and bustle of life. That there is hope through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
So, let’s think about four things of what we can see from this period of time in Elijah’s life that can apply to us today?
- God does have power in all the mighty things of this life. His power is in the boisterous waves, the ravaging fires and in the rock shattering winds. God is all powerful! He has the power to cause a flood that covered the entire earth and save eight souls in an ark. God has the power in the creation of the seasons. This season, the fall, is my favorite. In each season we see His magnificent power.
- God shows His power also in the quiet parts of our lives. He has power in the silence-in the stillness. His power has gone into our very souls with this pandemic because we have had to slow down and remember what is truly important. His power is seen and heard in the laughter of a child-in the quiet snowfall-a gentle rain and the freshness afterwards-in the rustling of the leaves in the trees-in the time we are given quietness to think deep down into our souls.
- In the verses after the ones quoted above, God tells Elijah that he is not alone after all. There were others who were seeking Him. God also showed Elijah that maybe it was a time that he went another direction in his life. There was still work for Elijah to do for God. Maybe you think your life is over and you are financially strained to the breaking point, but realize that even though your path of life has changed, that there is still goodness, maybe even a better life awaiting you.
- Even when we are at our worst-even when we have lost everything and do not know where to turn-even when we are at the lowest part of our lives we have ever been-God is there just waiting for us to reach out to Him. As in Elijah’s life, when he felt hopeless and helpless-God met him where he was in his life and reached out with physical and spiritual help and love.
I will end with some verses that I hope will give you hope and peace.
Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Psalm 9:9-10 “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You. For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek Him.”
Remember, no matter what is going on in our lives, that God is always there helping us take one more step-helping us when we fall-helping us when we are feeling helpless, alone and hopeless. Lean on our Almighty God. He will never fail you. He will meet us where we are in our lives. He will nourish us physically and spiritually.
Be thankful that this pandemic has caused us to slow down and remember what is truly important in this life. God is a God of physical power, but He is also a God of the stillness. In the stillness, is when He patches up our lives in our hearts. God took care of Elijah physically and then spiritually. Listen for that still small voice! Maybe it is time to change the direction of your life. Like Elijah, who felt his life was over, God is letting you know there is still work for you to do for Him but just on a different path. God is trying to tell you something, that is full of hope and peace for your future!
Have a blessed Thanksgiving! Maybe this year, thank God for that still small voice you have heard because of this pandemic! Think about it and listen to what God is trying to tell you!
Till next time! Keela
(By the way, my Covid test came back negative! Praise God! So, after Thanksgiving, I will have many adventures to share with you about my trip to see my grandbabies in Virginia!)