1 Kings 19:3–18 ‘And after the fire came a gentle whisper.’ (v12)
Elijah, the man of God, has seen the Lord do amazing things – see 1 Kings 18, where he experiences an incredible victory!
But the formidable Queen Jezebel has threatened him, and now he’s running for his life. He’s exhausted; he feels as if he’s a failure.
He doesn’t even want to live. He isn’t where he should be; he isn’t where the Lord has called him to be.
But God meets him, helps him, and then reveals himself to the beleaguered prophet in a new way.
Elijah needs a new perspective on life, and on God; he receives that when he positions himself to listen to the Lord.
There he discovers that God isn’t always to be found in the wind, earthquake or fire: the excitement of life.
He is found in the quiet. Elijah hears the ‘gentle whisper’ (v12) of promise. Having heard God, having a different perspective, Elijah returns from the wilderness with fresh life and fresh purpose.
We often find it hard to rest – to take a break from the daily routine. But if we don’t factor in periods of ‘downtime’ in our often hectic lives, we run the risk of burnout.
If we aren’t careful, life with all its stress can edge out our quiet times with God; times of simply listening to Him, just enjoying ‘being with’ rather than ‘working for’ him.
Spending quality time with God is crucial: Jesus did it (see Mark 1:35), so how much more do we need to?
Listening to the ‘gentle whisper’ refreshes us, and gives us God’s perspective on our busy lives… or lives that, for whatever reason, have lost their joy.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Father, I want to hear Your still, gentle voice, speaking into my life. Help me to prioritise time with You today. Show me how I can do that, I pray. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
If you don’t have a barometer, find a picture of one on the internet. If your faith could be measured on it, what would it be like? Stormy? Very dry? Think about it.
Scripture To Consider:
Ps. 23 & 46; Mark 4:35–41 & 6:30–34
