Derek Smith, Lead Pastor LHBC
1 Kings 19:9-13
There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he 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. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
When you have a 2 year old in the house naptime is a beautiful thing. It’s an hour or two (if you’re lucky) where you can sit down and just relax a little bit before the chaos starts all over again. The only problem with naptime in our house is that we also have a 5 year old, a 9 year old, a 12 year old, and a 13 year old, so when everybody is home keeping the others quiet enough so the baby can sleep is a job. On Saturdays or school holidays we find ourselves reminding our children every 5 minutes during naptime to keep it down, use an inside voice, and to whisper.
Elijah was an incredibly powerful prophet of God. In 1 Kings 18 Elijah called down fire from heaven to consume the offering and prove that the prophets of Baal were the charlatans he said they were. It was one of the most awe inspiring displays of the power of God in all of the Old Testament. One chapter later he is running from a wicked witch of a woman named Jezebel, and he is tired and burnt out. He needs a touch from the Lord, a word to bring peace to his soul. He comes to a cave and the Lord speaks to him there, but He does so in what seemed like an unconventional way to Elijah. God had spoken to Israel from the mountain in the past by thunder, lightening, earthquakes, and fire, but this time He would speak in another more intimate way. The Lord wasn’t in the tornadic wind. He wasn’t in the violent shaking of the ground. He wasn’t even in the consuming fire. The Lord spoke in a whisper, a gentle breeze much like you feel and hear at the beach on a perfect day. What Elijah needed to satisfy his soul was not another grandiose display of God’s miraculous power. Elijah needed a tender word, a gentle touch, a caring whisper to bring peace to his heart.
We live in a culture of chaos. There is so much noise through the television, internet, social media, and more that we cannot find rest. What you and I, and this culture, need more than anything else is not a grandiose display of God’s power. We need the still small voice of God. We desperately need to unplug from the world, quiet our soul, and sit in expectant silence until we hear the whisper of God. It’s been said that the words that sink deepest into our souls are not screamed, they are whispered. I challenge you in these days to unplug from the world, find a nice quiet spot somewhere, and just sit with your bible in hand and an ear open and attentive to the Lord. Turn down the noise and listen closely. The Lord will speak, and you will never be the same again.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father God, help me turn down all the noise in my life so that I can hear You clearly. I don’t need more entertainment, more comfort, or more material things. I need to hear Your still small voice, to sense the warmth of Your Presence, to rest in Your grace. As I unplug from the world, Jesus please speak to my heart and give me ears to hear You. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
1 Samuel 3:10
And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”