”Then He (God) 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.So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-13)
We have all experienced times of discouragement - something that goes wrong in a job or a relationship, or just the sense that something is off. It can even follow a high, as with Elijah above. In those times, we can lose hope and begin to doubt everything we know about God, even past encounters with Him. It’s as if our vision goes dark. Where we once saw a trail of God’s provision and mercy, we may be blinded by fear, find it hard to hear from him, hard to hope and even doubt if He is real. And often be frustrated with ourselves for our lack of faith.
Thankfully, God’s ways are not our ways. We are impatient with frailty and discouragement, but God is not. He is kind, gentle, and patient. In 1 Kings 18, Jezebel announces her intention to hunt down and murder him; Elijah, had just overcome 450 prophets of Baal, nut now, he just shuts down. He has had enough. He essentially tells God he can’t take it anymore. He hides in a cave and asks God to let him die. Rather than giving him a command or motivational speech, God ministers to him, providing him with food, water and time to rest, and when Elijah feels able, the Lord asks him to go to the mouth of the cave to hear from him. And, perhaps because of God’s gentle care, Elijah recognizes God’s “still small voice” through a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire. God’s care and his whisper enable Elijah to go on. If you are going through a hard time, be kind to yourself and let God minister to you. Remember that even if you lose faith and are unfaithful, He remains faithful to us (2 Tim 2:13). Take time alone, eat and drink, rest, quiet your heart, listen to a worship song, read a psalm or a devotional. Let the words minister to you, and listen for his still small voice. His loving whisper to you, His beloved.
Prayer Prompt: Dear Lord, I am coming to you trusting that you are good. I am afraid and discouraged, dear Lord. Please come. I need you.
Song of the Day: Quiet, Diana Trout
