A Faint Wisper

Lately this passage has been on my mind.

1 Kings 19:11-13

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?”

In the passage above, God tells Elijah to go to a special place where He will reveal Himself to His faithful prophet. Elijah obeys and meets a flurry of bizarre spectacles, but doesn't see God speaking to him over the wind, earthquake, or fire. After a display of natures ferocity, God Almighty communicates to a lowly man through a "gentle whisper." That humbleness staggers me!


I think one of the coolest things about Christianity is when God talks to you. There are many ways that God would speak to you, but you can never hear God if your not looking for it. It's amazing when a certain verse just jumps out and grabs your attention, or when you hear a sermon of Bible study that the speaker says one line that cuts you down. However, it is so easy to miss the gentle whisper when you are surrounded by the hurricanes and earthquakes of life.

Notice that Elijah first heard God's voice, but couldn't make out the words. When Elijah heard a small voice, he knew Yahweh was communicating with Him. Elijah humbled himself and began to listen intently. When we think God is telling us something, we need to make time and make sure that we don't miss the brief message that is sure to profoundly change us. Clearly Elijah knew how to listen to God. Elijah wasn't looking for a poster, or big letters in the sky, he was waiting for something soft, something simple, something perfectly godly.

God can very well, and still does, speak to His children in huge and un-ignorable methods, but we should be able to distinguish a soft call from heaven. I think to a point where when we think something is coming through, we halt all els going around, and just listen for anything.

Just some thoughts on this passage! I think there is so much to be applied here in the Christian life.

I would love to read what all of you see in this awesome piece of scripture.

-Jerry