God’s Gentle Whisper

And [the Lord] 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

Elijah is one of the most well-known and most marked prophets from the Old Testament. God used Elijah to miraculously present a once dead child alive to his mother, to predict the beginning and end of a three-year drought and demonstrated God’s almighty power in a showdown against priests of Baal and Asherah.

Even after the two greatest spiritual victories he ever had – the defeat of the prophets of Baal and the answered prayer for rain – Elijah fell into a tailspin of fatigue and discouragement when his Queen Jezebel retaliated.

Elijah had seen God do the powerful and miraculous, but in the instance when he needed God personally, he realized God doesn’t reveal himself only in powerful, miraculous ways. Elijah, in this instant, recognized the sound of a gentle whisper as God’s voice.

We can miss God completely if we are focused on experiencing Him in the powerful and miraculous because He is more often found in the quiet stillness of our own humbled heart.

Today’s One Thing

Where are you looking to find God? In what ways are you listening or expecting Him to step near. Pause today from the clutter and commotion of your demanding life and pay attention in the quiet for His voice. Sometimes God will show up in unexpected places if we are able to slow down and listen. Write down what He’s saying and think about it over the next few days.

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