Daily Devotion - 1 Kings 19:11-12 - When God Is Silent
Most days, God is in the whisper, waiting for us to tune out the noise of this world and listen for His steady, unchanging voice.
Elijah stared at the large group gathered before him, full of false prophets who worshiped a silent idol.
He was ready.
This was it. This was the day when King Ahab, Queen Jezebel and all of those who served the false god Baal would see the error of their ways and finally understand that Israel should worship God alone.
The prophets of Baal had their altar ready and waiting for their silent deity to bring fire. All day and all night they chanted, cutting themselves and calling out. Elijah taunted them, suggesting Baal may be on vacation or in the bathroom. After a full day of nothing, he had enough.
He called for 12 buckets of water to be poured on his altar, soaking the meat and the wood thoroughly. Then, after a simple prayer for fire, the LORD God sent a flaming torch from the sky, quickly consuming the bull, the wood and even the stones of the temple.
God had won, and Elijah's grin stretched from ear to ear.
He called for the execution of the false prophets, incurring the wrath of Queen Jezebel. With a price on his head, Elijah went from mountaintop victory to lowest valley in a matter of hours. The one who had taken the lives of the false prophets was now running for his own.
[1Kings 19:11-12 ESV] 11 And he said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD." And 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. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.
Elijah was at rock bottom, and he believed himself to be the last of the God-worshipers, possibly even abandoned by the LORD Himself. When God showed up, the prophet possibly expected to see a big flash, a powerful word or even a commanding victory over his enemies, but all he got was a whisper.
We've all been there, suddenly looking up at the mountain we'd just been standing on with God. We question whether He's still with us or if He's still good or even if He exists at all. We look for the big reminders, the grand, life-altering comebacks that put us back up on the mountain, but many times those large, bellowing earthquakes and fires come from the world, telling us half-truths and leading us astray.
Most days, God is in the whisper, waiting for us to tune out the noise of this world and listen for His steady, unchanging voice. Even in the middle of a dry valley, God is speaking to us if we only take the time to hear Him in the quiet of our souls.
Question To Consider
What loud distractions of this world do I need to shut out in order to hear from God?
Prayer For Today
Lord Jesus, teach me to find a place of quiet and solitude like You did, taking time to rest with the Father and listening for His still, small whisper to my soul. Help me to eliminate all the voices of the world that try to drown out Your Word, and tune my heart to Yours. Amen.
