1 Kings 19:11-21: a reflection

11He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” 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. After the wind there was an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake a fire passed; but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a still small voice. 13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16Anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel; and anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah to be prophet in your place. 17He who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and he who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18Yet I reserved seven thousand in Israel, all the knees of which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” 19So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and put his mantle on him. 20Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” He said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” 21He returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, killed them, and boiled their meat with the oxen’s equipment, and gave to the people; and they ate. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and served him.

When the LORD passes by Elijah on the mountain, he is not in the great wind, or the earthquake, or the fire, but in a still, small voice, a gentle whisper. A great and strong wind tore the mountains, the account says, 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. Elijah might have expected God in the dramatic and overwhelming, the wind, quake, and fire; but God was not in those. God came in a still, small voice, a gentle whisper; and it was then that Elijah wrapped his face and heard God speak. This shows that God often comes not in the dramatic and spectacular, but in a still, small voice. God often comes not in the dramatic, but in a still, small voice. Listen for the gentle whisper, not only the spectacular. God was not in the wind, quake, or fire, but in the quiet voice. Do not miss God's quiet coming while looking for the dramatic.

Notice where God was, and where he was not. There were the dramatic and overwhelming things: a great wind tearing the mountains, an earthquake, a fire. These are the sort of displays we might expect God to come in, spectacular and overpowering. But the LORD was not in the wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire. God came, instead, in a still, small voice, a gentle whisper, quiet and easily missed. And it was in that quiet voice that God met Elijah and spoke to him. This holds a lesson about how God often comes to us. We may expect God in the dramatic, the spectacular, the overwhelming, and look for him there, in great experiences, striking events, overwhelming displays. And God can come in such ways. But often God comes quietly, in a still, small voice, a gentle whisper, in the quiet moments, the soft prompting, the word that comes not with overwhelming force but in stillness. If we look for God only in the dramatic, we may miss his quiet coming, his gentle whisper. We do well to listen for God not only in the spectacular, but in the still, small voice, in the quiet where he so often speaks, that we may not miss his gentle coming while looking only for the dramatic. Listen for God in the still, small voice, not only in the dramatic. God often comes quietly, in a gentle whisper, not overwhelming force. Do not miss God's quiet coming while looking only for the spectacular. Be still enough to hear the gentle voice of God.

That is worth taking to heart, for God often comes not in the dramatic and spectacular but in a still, small voice, and we do well to listen for his gentle whisper, as God met Elijah not in the wind, quake, or fire but in the quiet voice. We may look for God in the overwhelming and striking; but the LORD was not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a still small voice. Listen for the quiet. Do not look for God only in the dramatic; be still enough to hear his gentle whisper, in which he so often comes. Listen for God in the still, small voice, the gentle whisper in which he so often comes, rather than looking for him only in the dramatic and spectacular, as when the LORD passed by Elijah on the mountain he was not in the great wind that tore the mountains, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but in a still small voice, and it was then that Elijah wrapped his face and heard God speak; for Elijah might have expected God in the dramatic and overwhelming, the wind, quake, and fire, but God was not in those, coming instead in a gentle whisper, quiet and easily missed, which holds a lesson about how God often comes to us, since we may expect God in the dramatic, spectacular, and overwhelming and look for him there in great experiences and striking events, and God can come in such ways, but often God comes quietly in a still small voice, in the quiet moments, the soft prompting, and the word that comes not with overwhelming force but in stillness, so that if we look for God only in the dramatic we may miss his quiet coming and his gentle whisper, and we do well to listen for God not only in the spectacular but in the still small voice where he so often speaks.

Lord, when you pass by Elijah on the mountain, you are not in the great wind, or the earthquake, or the fire, but in a still, small voice, a gentle whisper. A great and strong wind tore the mountains, the account says, 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. Elijah might have expected you in the dramatic and overwhelming, the wind, quake, and fire; but you were not in those. You came in a still, small voice; and it was then that Elijah wrapped his face and heard you speak. Show me where you were, and where you were not. There were the dramatic and overwhelming things: a great wind, an earthquake, a fire. These are the sort of displays I might expect you to come in, spectacular and overpowering. But you were not in the wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire. You came, instead, in a still, small voice, a gentle whisper, quiet and easily missed. And it was in that quiet voice that you met Elijah and spoke to him. This holds a lesson about how you often come to me. I may expect you in the dramatic, the spectacular, the overwhelming, and look for you there. And you can come in such ways. But often you come quietly, in a still, small voice, a gentle whisper, in the quiet moments, the soft prompting, the word that comes not with overwhelming force but in stillness. If I look for you only in the dramatic, I may miss your quiet coming. Take that to my heart. Keep me from looking for you only in the spectacular; help me listen for you, Lord, in the still, small voice, and be still enough to hear your gentle whisper, that I may not miss your quiet coming while looking only for the dramatic.