Storm Season - The Quiet in the Storm

1 Kings 19:9-13 NIV 

[9] There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” [10] He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” [11] The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. [12] After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. [13] When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.19.9-13.NIV)

Right now it’s Atlantic hurricane and Pacific typhoon season. Storm watchers are paying close attention to forecasts to try to be ready for when one of these fearsome forces of nature could potentially hit their nation. 

It’s not my favourite time of year. 

There are two facts about storms of which we need to be aware. Firstly, particularly in summer, they can often be preceded by beautiful weather. You can be basking under hot sun and cloudless skies when the humidity begins to rise a little too much. Then the clouds begin to roll in, the breeze starts to lift and you realise that the good weather is about to break, possible quite spectacularly. 

Secondly, that you can be absolutely battered by a huge storm, and then deceived by the period of near silent calm that follows. You can think that it passed. You can step outside to check for damage. And then, in moments, the storm can batter you once more. 

That period of calm is the eye of the storm. 

Cyclonic storms in particular can completely fool you of you don’t know what to expect. 

Elijah went through a period that resembled a spiritual summer’s day. He was at the top of his ‘game’. He had eradicated a major spiritual threat to his nation (1 Kings 18:16-40). He had put on notice all who worshipped Baal that their god was a hopeless and hapless fake. He had laid down a convincing marker as to who the real God is. 

One man and his God had stared down four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. There could be little doubt that this was his crowning achievement. 

And yet within moments, one woman who actually wore the crown had sent him scampering for cover. 

This is spiritual bipolarity if ever it existed. 

What we see in Elijah is something many, many Christians – particularly those in ministry – can identify with. What we see here is not just a very famous Biblical figure going through something deeply difficult and distressing, but how God brought Him through it. For that reason at least, we should pay very close attention to what we see here. 

Firstly, we see The Storm of Fear. 

The Storm of Fear 

1 Kings 19:1-3 NIV 

[1] Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. [2] So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” [3] Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.19.1-3.NIV)

Have you ever reached the pinnacle of what you had set out to achieve, before reality gave you a swift slap on the face? 

I have. Many times.  

I had longed to be a missionary. It felt like a great achievement to finally be on the way to Romania. It felt like an immense privilege and so special to be there. 

But the reality of what missionary life meant soon hit me. Language training was hard work, but I relished it. Getting used to cultural differences was also hard, but I was hugely enthusiastic about it. Preaching a few times a week stretched me, but I absolutely loved it. 

The practical side, though, was harsh. I was a poor cook. I hadn’t learned much – or anything – about keeping house.  

There were also tensions in my team – some I had unwittingly contributed to. 

And then I was asked to lead the team. I was miles out of my depth. 

What was the result? Two bouts of complete nervous exhaustion that took a couple of days to get over. 

God had called me there. I had no doubt about that and I still don’t. But I had a very steep learning curve and a lot of growing up to do while in the public eye as a preacher and it was far from easy. 

Years later, I finally secured a promotion to a different department, with a second promotion to follow. I felt delighted. Now was my time to fly. 

But the new team had a whole bunch of problems that I had to deal with while learning the job. It was very, very tough. On more than one occasion , I brushed with losing my job. 

Elijah had risen to the absolute heights of his position as prophet. The incontrovertible evidence that God is God had been presented at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20-38). The people's confession had been loud and clear:

1 Kings 18:39 NIV 

[39] When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.18.39.NIV)

The slaughter of the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:40) had removed a seriously malignant influence from God’s people. The three year drought was over (1 Kings 18:1, 41-46).  

So surely, surely even the deeply recalcitrant people of Israel would finally get the message and turn to God. Surely their idolatrous behaviour was long gone. 

Not if Queen Jezebel had anything to do with it. She was a Sidonian and was a Baal worshipper. Baal worship had come into the land as a result of her marriage to Ahab (1 Kings 16:30-33). 

Elijah had just undone all of her work. That’s why she was so furious. 

Elijah received her threat. And this great man of God, who had achieved so much, was afraid and ran for his life. 

Maybe that’s how you feel right now. Maybe the pressure is too high, the expectation is too much and the disappointment from your success not being what you thought it was is just too heavy. 

Maybe you just feel like running away from it all. 

If so, you are not alone. You stand beside a great man of God and a hero of the faith. 

You stand beside Elijah. 

Apart from the storm of fear, we also see The Storm of Isolation. 

The Storm of Isolation 

1 Kings 19:3-4 NIV 

[3] Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, [4] while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.19.3-4.NIV)

Loneliness kills. 

I do not doubt that for a second. 

When you are going through a difficult time, the absolute worst feeling in the world is to believe that no-one else understands and that you are alone. I know that because I have felt it on many occasions. But let me tell you a truth about this feeling that you must understand: 

It is not true. 

The Bible teaches this: 

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV 

[13] No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.10.13.NIV)

If you feel lonely today, read that verse again and again and again and realise this: you are not – not now, not ever – alone in what you are going through. As much as you might like to be a unique martyr so that other people give you some attention, you are not alone. There are others around the world in the same situation as you. 

Elijah clearly felt the pain of loneliness. As he explained to God: 

1 Kings 19:10 NIV 

[10] He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.19.10.NIV)

But it wasn’t true! God still had seven thousand faithful followers in Israel (1 Kings 19:18). Ironically, Elijah had met with one of them to summon the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:2-14). In his deep depression, Elijah had distorted the truth and forgotten the facts. 

But this distortion likely began when Elijah left his servant behind and headed off into the wilderness. It was doubtless this step that caused his situation to be worse. He had abandoned the comfort and presence of someone who had supported him. In the solitude, there was no sounding board to prevent his fevered, fearful imagination from going where it should not go. 

When you are facing one of life’s many storms, you should absolutely not go through it alone. Wise Solomon wrote this famous text: 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NIV 

[9] Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: [10] If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. [11] Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? [12] Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/ecc.4.9-12.NIV)

Do you see it? Facing the strain alone is not good. You should face it with others. 

Paul wrote this about the church: 

1 Corinthians 12:26 NIV 

[26] If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.12.26.NIV)

Do you see how this is supposed to work? We are supposed to share our joys and our sorrows and our stresses and strains with others. We simply are not built to carry them alone. 

I know this for sure. I have experienced it. When I returned for the last time from the mission field, I did so because my father had died. Serious issues in my team meant I could not return. I felt I could not discuss those issues with the leadership of my church – or, indeed, with anyone. They were too sensitive. So I bottled them up. This quite literally made me ill – I was diagnosed with shingles despite being in my mid 20s. The shingles were brought on by stress. 

Many of us perceive our life as if we are walking along a high wire. Every step feels important. Every pace feels critical. We struggle pretty much every moment of our day to maintain our balance. 

God has provided a safety net for us. That safety net is our family, our friends and our church. It makes no sense at all to cut ourselves off from them. That would be like a high wire walker deliberately removing the safety net beneath them. 

The risk is way too high. Use the net if you need it. 

Elijah walked off into the wilderness and left his servant behind him. He may have had good reasons for this, but in doing so he made things harder for himself. 

Don’t make the same mistake. 

Apart from the storms of fear and loneliness, we also see The Storm of Exhaustion. 

The Storm of Exhaustion 

1 Kings 19:3-5 NIV 

[3] Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, [4] while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” [5] Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.19.3-5.NIV)

Tiredness comes with stress. The week before writing this study, I was dealing with a post-operation wife who was unable to do things for herself, our family in the Philippines were facing an earthquake and I had a very stressful situation at work. When Friday night eventually came, I was exhausted. By five PM I already wished I could climb into bed and fall asleep. 

This is not unknown territory for me. That was just physical exhaustion. I have also experienced nervous exhaustion – twice – which is worse. Your body is shaking. Your mind feels like it’s full of fog. Your emotions are all over the place and barely controllable. You don’t have the appetite to eat. You are too stressed to sleep properly as you keep turning things over in your mind. 

It’s an awful place to be. 

I hope you are not there now. 

Elijah’s reaction seems to come from a place of resignation, yes, but also exhaustion. 

He had simply had enough. He couldn’t take it anymore. 

Now, you sometimes find melodramatic young people yelling ‘I wish I could die!’ when confronted with something they find uncomfortable or embarrassing. This is not that. This is a deep-seated sense that all his efforts have been for nothing, that the revival he seems to have been expecting has not happened, that, despite the astonishing confrontation on Mount Carmel the stubborn people of Israel hadn’t really changed, and that he had utterly lost hope. 

Here is a man who, despite all he had done for God, likely wondered if he was under this curse: 

Deuteronomy 28:15-19 NIV 

[15] However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you: [16] You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. [17] Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. [18] The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. [19] You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/deu.28.15-19.NIV)

Deuteronomy 28:23 NIV 

[23] The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/deu.28.23.NIV)

Haggai 2:16 NIV 

[16] When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/hag.2.16.NIV)

Like the farmers pictured in these curses, nothing he had done – not even the incredible divine miracle on Mount Carmel – had worked. 

He would likely have echoed Solomon’s pained cry: 

Ecclesiastes 1:2 NIV 

[2] “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/ecc.1.2.NIV)

Here we see a man who is simply done with it all. 

Have you been there? Have you felt that way? It’s not uncommon. 

Let me show you a few Bible verses that can help bring us out of this really difficult funk: 

Hebrews 6:10 NIV 

[10] God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.6.10.NIV)

1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV 

[58] Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.15.58.NIV)

Listen to me – really listen. We don’t always see the fruit of our labours. We don’t always see things change. We don’t always see people grow. But the Lord promises us that nothing we do for Him is ever in vain, that no suffering is wasted, that no tear goes unnoticed. When we find ourselves struggling with a lack of progress, or even the presence of regress, and the pain of wondering if it was all worthwhile, that is the time when we reach out in faith and we grasp this promise. God called us. God sent us. God equipped us. He did not do all that for nothing. 

We might not see how, but God says that none of it was in vain. 

And do you know what? We believe Him. 

What would help Elijah through those feelings of helplessness, powerlessness and despair? 

Sleep. 

Psalms 4:8 NIV 

[8] In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.4.8.NIV)

Psalms 127:1-2 NIV 

[1] Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. [2] In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.127.1-2.NIV)

Not more activity. Not more work. Sleep. Because God understands our need for rest – of course He does, He made us. Sometimes all we need to gain a fresh perspective on things is a good night’s rest. 

So if you are despairing that all your efforts have been in vain, believe the Word of the Lord that your fears are misplaced and then sleep on it. 

You may well feel better in the morning. 

Apart from the storms of fear, isolation and exhaustion, we also see The Storm of Hunger. 

The Storm of Hunger 

1 Kings 19:5-8 NIV 

[5] Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” [6] He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. [7] The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” [8] So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.19.5-8.NIV)

Have you ever been hungry? No, I don’t just mean ‘have you ever missed a meal?’ I mean, ‘have you ever been really hungry?’ 

The first time I felt genuine hunger was in my early teenage years, when I was taken into hospital just before dinner time with suspected appendicitis. I was being monitored, but they had to give me nil by mouth in case surgery was required.  

It wasn’t. They released me the next morning, hours after breakfast time, after ascertaining that my appendix was ‘grumbling’ and didn’t need to come out. 

Let me tell you, it wasn’t the only organ that was ‘grumbling’. My stomach was grumbling too – from being empty! 

There are times when going without food can be a positive thing – when we are fasting for spiritual reasons (Matthew 6:16-18). 

However, there are times when it is not. One of those is when we are experiencing suffering, or are supporting someone who is suffering. At those times, we need to look after ourselves and keep our energy levels high. If we are already in pain, it makes no sense to voluntarily make it worse by not eating and drinking.  

Yet if we are passing through a time of depression and despair, the simplest of routines often disappear. Put simply, we either neglect to look after ourselves by accident, or to punish ourselves for being in the bad situation in the first place. 

Neither are good approaches. 

I find it very interesting here that God’s angel woke Elijah from his sleep, in the middle of the desert, and miraculously provided sustenance for him to continue on his journey.  

This is a profound act of grace. It’s on a par with God providing manna to His people for forty years in the desert, even if they were disobeying Him, and ensuring that their wandering sandals did not wear out (Exodus 16:35; Deuteronomy 29:5). 

Elijah has stared down four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of Asherah and came away with the victory with an incredible demonstration of the power and glory of His God, yet he has run away in fear from his calling at the threat of of one woman. He had faith that God could defeat eight hundred and fifty men at once, but does not seem to have the same faith that God can keep him safe from one woman. 

Yet God still provided food for him in his desert. 

Jesus promised this to those of us who seek His Kingdom: 

Matthew 6:31-34 NIV 

[31] So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. [33] But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. [34] Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.6.31-34.NIV)

If God did it for Elijah, then how more will He do it for us? 

As David said: 

Psalms 37:25 NIV 

[25] I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.37.25.NIV)

If God provides food for us, He does so because we need it. And if we need it, then we should eat it. 

So yes, in the midst of the pain of your storm, it is of vital importance that you do not skip meals, you do not eat at strange times, and you eat well. That is how you will gain the physical strength and endurance to face the day. 

As well as the storms of fear, isolation, exhaustion and Hunger, we also see The Storm of Distance. 

The Storm of Distance 

1 Kings 19:7-9 NIV 

[7] The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” [8] So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. [9] There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.19.7-9.NIV)

My family knows all about this. 

Earlier this year, we received news that my father-in-law had died. In a whirlwind twenty-four hours, in which God really had His hand of blessing upon us, we managed to drop everything, arrange flights, pack and set off on a journey that, with stopovers, took almost thirty hours and around seven thousand miles from our home in Scotland to my wife’s home village in the Philippines. 

We got there emotionally drained and thoroughly exhausted. 

But our travel was actually pretty comfortable. The two airlines we flew with were brilliant. The food was great. The entertainment was good. The airports were really nice. It was long, but, apart from the emotional side of heading there for a funeral, it wasn’t hard. 

Elijah’s, on the other hand, would have been arduous and nerve-wracking. He was, after all, a fugitive enemy of the state. He not only had to spend forty days and forty nights in the wilderness, he also had to do so in such a way as to evade capture. 

I would not sign up to do that journey voluntarily. 

Sometimes being distant from pain and drama seems like a good idea. However, if something major goes wrong and you are far away, particularly if you are powerless to do anything about it, then the distance itself becomes a source of pain. We as a family are veterans of waiting for updates from family affected by typhoons and earthquakes seven thousand miles from our front door. It really is not fun at all. 

The Bible does not go into detail about it, but I think we can be assured that a forty day journey on foot did not help Elijah’s mindset one bit. 

There are two things we need to notice about his journey. The first is what he was fleeing from, which is, of course, the threat against his life and the apparently failure to win his nation back for God. 

But notice also what he was fleeing to. He was headed to Mount Horeb in the Sinai peninsula. This was where Moses met with God and where God made a covenant with the people of Israel (Exodus 19:1-2; Deuteronony 5:2; Malachi 4:4). 

He was not going there to hide in some remote location. No, He was fleeing to God. 

Having felt the pain of physical separation when hard times come on a number of occasions, I can tell you that the only way you can get through it is to run to God. No-one else not just understands, but also has the power to do something about it. In these situations, without prayer, we are powerless. But with prayer, and in faith, we can both change the distant situation and change ourselves. 

But note something very important here. The Israelites took forty years to cross the desert; Elijah did it in forty days. The reason for his ability to do it three hundred and sixty-five days faster? 

For all his fear, Elijah still trusted in God and His provision. If we do the same, the distance between our troubles and their resolution will shorten. 

Moving on from the storms of fear, isolation, exhaustion, hunger and distance, we see a sixth storm: The Storm of Despair. 

The Storm of Despair 

1 Kings 19:9-10 NIV 

[9] There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” [10] He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.19.9-10.NIV)

Have you ever dealt with someone in the deepest despair? 

They may have very good reason to be there. Their situation may well be terrible. 

But sometimes it isn’t. 

Sometimes it’s a matter of perspective. 

Read carefully what Elijah said to God. There is a lot of truth in it. 

But it wasn’t entirely true. 

Firstly, because Elijah wasn’t the last prophet, and he knew it. Look what happened before the miracle on Mount Carmel: 

1 Kings 18:1-4 NIV 

[1] After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” [2] So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria, [3] and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, his palace administrator. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. [4] While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.18.1-4.NIV)

So by this count there were at least a hundred and two (Elijah, Obadiah and a hundred prophets) followers of God in Israel.  

Elijah was not alone, he just felt alone. 

And what made him feel alone? 

Fear. 

Also, he mentioned the destruction of altars and the killing of prophets. Look what had taken place at Mount Carmel: 

1 Kings 18:40 NIV 

[40] Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.18.40.NIV)

So Elijah had commanded the deaths of the prophets of Baal – four hundred and fifty of them. 

Yes, God’s people in Israel had suffered. Yes, they had been hounded by a bloodthirsty queen and her sidekick king. But there was another perspective. God still had good people in the land. God was bigger and greater than Jezebel. 

Now, I am not saying that Elijah was lounging on a deckchair while thinking he was in a torture chamber. Far from it. The situation in Israel was far from ideal. 

However, Elijah perceived it as being worse than it actually was. 

And that is the problem with despair. 

There is a place in our town that has an artificial climbing wall. It’s a near vertical plastic wall with foothold and handholds on the way up. When we are deep in despair, we see the walls but we don’t see the footholds and we don’t see the handholds. We see the wall and we only see the climb. We don’t see the way up. 

Likely what added to this despair was the deep sense of disappointment after the high of Mount Carmel. The Israelite’s confession of the Lord as their God would surely have meant something. But for it to be followed by a death threat would have been more than galling. 

We can understand, then, why Elijah focused on the negative and lost all perspective.

But what can you do in that situation? How can you get out of it? 

Several years ago, I realised my eyesight wasn’t what it should be and went to an opticians. My eyes were tested and I came out a week later with a new pair of glasses. Now I could see. 

The only way out of despair is to change what we see and how we see it. There really is no other way. 

That’s what happens as we move past the six inner storms (fear, isolation, exhaustion, hunger, distance and despair) to see how God responded to it all – The Whisper of Hope. 

The Whisper of Hope 

1 Kings 19:11-18 NIV 

[11] The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. [12] After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. [13] When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” [14] He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” [15] The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. [16] Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. [17] Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. [18] Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.19.11-18.NIV)

One of my sisters is an Associate Dean and Professor of Physics. She is a bright and ridiculously hard working person. 

When she was working her way through secondary school, she showed that she had a real aptitude for science. She wanted to sit her high school exams in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. None of the state schools near us could accommodate her. Only one school could – a private, fee-paying school that my parents could not afford. They were told that if my sister passed an exam, she might get a bursary that would pay for her fees and her uniform. She sat the exam, aced it and got in. 

That did not please her big sister. Despite not even wanting to go to the private school, her big sister argued that this was favouritism – even though it was not costing my parents anything – and was really angry at the prospect. 

Time has healed those wounds. However, here we see something quite interesting. Elijah is at Mount Horeb, where the law was given to Moses. Look how God met the Israelites there: 

Exodus 19:16-18 NIV 

[16] On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. [17] Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. [18] Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/exo.19.16-18.NIV)

Earthquake. Thunder. Lightning. Fire. Trumpet blast. 

That would have been quite terrifying. 

But God did meet Elijah in a wind, earthquake or a fire, but a whisper. 

What is going on here? Why did God change his tactics? Why did he treat Elijah differently?

Just as my parents were dealing with four different children with different hopes, aspirations and abilities, God here was dealing with two very different types of people. The people of Israel was a disobedient, recalcitrant rabble. The sounds and special effects of Mount Horeb/Sinai were specifically created to keep them in line: 

Exodus 19:9 NIV 

[9] The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/exo.19.9.NIV)

Elijah, however, did not need this. He was an obedient man, but also a broken man. So God did not meet Elijah with sound and fury. Instead, He used a whisper. 

But why a whisper? 

Ask yourself this: to hear a whisper , what do you have to do? 

You have to stop talking and be silent. 

Look again at the verse we saw in Psalm 46: 

Psalms 46:10 NIV 

[10] He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.46.10.NIV)

And that Moses said to the Israelites as they waited to cross the Red Sea: 

Exodus 14:13-14 NIV 

[13] Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. [14] The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/exo.14.13-14.NIV)

Do you remember what we said about is phrase ‘Be still’? How it also means ‘Be quiet’?

Could it be that the reason why you are unable to hear God’s whisper into your despair is that you are too busy talking? 

But what was God actually saying to Elijah? It sounds like a long to do list! 

The message of these verses is simple: ‘I’ve got this’.  

God was telling Elijah that, despite the struggles and dangers he faced, God was still in control. 

He was also telling Elijah that he was not alone, that God still had His people – seven thousand of them! 

So how can we find our way out of despair? 

Number one: stop talking and listen to God. 

Number two: stop doubting and realise that God has this under control. 

Number three: stop feeling like you are alone, because God still has is people. Find them. Fellowship with them. Pray with them. Weep with them. Stand with them. 

Because you are not alone. God is with you. And so are your brothers and sisters. 

Let God’s quiet whisper silence the screams of your despair. 

Let Him have the last word. 

Conclusion 

1 Kings 19:12-13 NIV 

[12] After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. [13] When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.19.12-13.NIV)

I grew up believing that Bible characters were like mighty heroes. When I helped out at a kids club, one of the songs we sung was ‘God’s people aren’t super-brave superheroes’.

That simple catchy song could not be more true. 

Here we see a Bible hero having a breakdown. And I am glad it’s there. I’m glad that the Bible is brutally honest about the spiritual, mental, and sometimes moral, struggles that its characters face. It gives the narrative a ring of integrity that few, if any, other literature from the period contains. It reinforces my belief that it is the Word of God, not man. 

James wrote this about Elijah: 

James 5:17-18 NIV 

[17] Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. [18] Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/jas.5.17-18.NIV)

Elijah, the prophet who stood with Jesus and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30), was a man like us: a man who experienced fragility and vulnerability and fear.  

Yet even then, God was not done with him. 

He passed through six physical, mental, emotional and spiritual storms – those of fear, isolation, exhaustion, hunger, distance and despair. Yet in the middle of that, and while fleeing from a difficult situation to which he was called, God didn’t give up on him. God was not in the thunder and lightning and earthquake. 

Not like before. 

This time God was in the quiet, almost inaudible assurance that ‘I’ve got this.’ 

Maybe, in the middle of your storms, that is the message you need to hear today. 

You might feel stuck and alone and can’t see any good ways forward. But neither did Elijah.  

God has this. He won’t give up on you. He’s not done with you yet. 

Let Him have the last word. And let Him whisper it. 

Prayer 

Lord Jesus, I face so many storms right now that I don’t know which way to turn, but I turn to You. I know You are not done with me. I know You have my situation in Your hands. I believe that somehow You can use even this for my good, even though I can’t see how. Help me to hear Your still, small voice of reassurance today. Amen. 

Questions for Contemplation 

• Why did Elijah flee for his life? Have you ever felt like this? 

• What metaphorical storms did Elijah endure? Which of these have you endured, or are you enduring now? 

• Why did God use a whisper to speak to Elijah? How would you like Him to speak to you?