A Gentle Whisper
"God has the power to enter and rejuvenate our souls, and He invites us in to be captivated by His quiet love that is not seen or heard, but felt."
1 Kings 19:9b - 13b (NIV)
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
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.”
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. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 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?”
Reflection
We woke up today to a once-in-a-lifetime day.
By default, our habit will be to miss what’s here now and think instead about what’s next. We naturally get caught up in the chaotic whirlwind of life. Opportunities and doors are opening that will never open again. Will we rush by and hurry through our day, missing out on hearing His gentle whisper?
I am guilty of and tend to sprint through the beautiful things. I can be smack dab in the middle of God’s calling and miss everything - distracted with all the noise, the world’s expectations, sprinting to that never-ending finish line, and fixating on all the voices that compete for my attention… ultimately drowning out the voice that I need the most.
We hurry through our days and wear a badge of busyness that drains the life and breath out of us, and lose sight of our purpose in God. If you ever wonder why you are tired, anxious, stressed, disappointed, lack purpose, feel isolated or lost, I can bet you are missing His voice of direction.
It’s time to quiet the noise.
Elijah’s story gives us hope. We need the presence of God in all that we do. And in the middle of all the doing and the nonstop voices in our heads, we need to slow down and listen enough to hear and feel His presence, allowing His gentle whisper to speak into our hearts. God has the power to enter and rejuvenate our souls, and He invites us in to be captivated by His quiet love that is not seen or heard, but felt.
Although God’s power has the capacity to be a mighty wind, earthquake, and fire (verse 11-12), God’s presence is in the gentle whisper, in the stillness, in the soft voice that speaks to our conscience, stirring our souls. It heals, renews, and reminds us of where we are to be. God is always speaking to us, but when our gracious souls invite Him in to speak the truth, we can hear Him, and we can feel His much-needed presence.
So, when we find ourselves like Elijah, asking whether we are in the right place, questioning where He is calling us, or how He wants to use us… when we are caught up in the busy, chasing idols and drowning in self-pity… go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by (verse 11). You will hear His whisper.
Action Steps
Prayer
Lord, I am drowning in distractions and caught up in the busy, but You gently remind me to slow down and be still. I praise You. Thank You, Lord, for Your loving, soft voice filled with direction, mercy, and grace. Help me run to the mountain, to be still, to seek Your presence always. Bless me to hear Your quiet, small, gentle whisper. I ask for that joyful sound that will bring peace and truth to my soul today. In Your mighty name, amen.
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
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.”
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. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 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?”
Reflection
We woke up today to a once-in-a-lifetime day.
By default, our habit will be to miss what’s here now and think instead about what’s next. We naturally get caught up in the chaotic whirlwind of life. Opportunities and doors are opening that will never open again. Will we rush by and hurry through our day, missing out on hearing His gentle whisper?
I am guilty of and tend to sprint through the beautiful things. I can be smack dab in the middle of God’s calling and miss everything - distracted with all the noise, the world’s expectations, sprinting to that never-ending finish line, and fixating on all the voices that compete for my attention… ultimately drowning out the voice that I need the most.
We hurry through our days and wear a badge of busyness that drains the life and breath out of us, and lose sight of our purpose in God. If you ever wonder why you are tired, anxious, stressed, disappointed, lack purpose, feel isolated or lost, I can bet you are missing His voice of direction.
It’s time to quiet the noise.
Elijah’s story gives us hope. We need the presence of God in all that we do. And in the middle of all the doing and the nonstop voices in our heads, we need to slow down and listen enough to hear and feel His presence, allowing His gentle whisper to speak into our hearts. God has the power to enter and rejuvenate our souls, and He invites us in to be captivated by His quiet love that is not seen or heard, but felt.
Although God’s power has the capacity to be a mighty wind, earthquake, and fire (verse 11-12), God’s presence is in the gentle whisper, in the stillness, in the soft voice that speaks to our conscience, stirring our souls. It heals, renews, and reminds us of where we are to be. God is always speaking to us, but when our gracious souls invite Him in to speak the truth, we can hear Him, and we can feel His much-needed presence.
So, when we find ourselves like Elijah, asking whether we are in the right place, questioning where He is calling us, or how He wants to use us… when we are caught up in the busy, chasing idols and drowning in self-pity… go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by (verse 11). You will hear His whisper.
Action Steps
- God will meet us where we are. Take a moment right now to pause and slow down, and to invite Him in.
- How will you quiet the noise and seek His presence throughout your today?
Prayer
Lord, I am drowning in distractions and caught up in the busy, but You gently remind me to slow down and be still. I praise You. Thank You, Lord, for Your loving, soft voice filled with direction, mercy, and grace. Help me run to the mountain, to be still, to seek Your presence always. Bless me to hear Your quiet, small, gentle whisper. I ask for that joyful sound that will bring peace and truth to my soul today. In Your mighty name, amen.
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