Good Morning Friends,
Elijah had run for his life, afraid of Queen
Jezebel’s threat. He was despondent and ready to give up on life. God met
Elijah in his state of despondency and God spoke to Elijah with a message of
hope.
How would you have expected the Almighty God to
speak?
The image of Jesus that the Apostle John
received in Revelation chapter one was of one with a voice like rushing water. He
spoke with the voice of authority and majesty. That’s how we might expect God
to speak.
When Paul describes the Second Coming he says
that the Lord will descend from heaven with a “loud command.” (1 Thessalonians
4:16) Again, a voice of power and authority.
David mentions the voice of God in one of his
psalms … “The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High
resounded.” (Psalm 18:13)
Each of those passages mention the voice of God
in the way we might expect … loud, commanding, like thunder, powerful,
authoritative. God can speak that way … and God has spoken that way … and God
will again speak that way. But that isn’t the only voice that God has.
God spoke to Elijah in this way … “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?’” (1 Kings 19:11-13)
When God spoke to Elijah, it was not the
thunderous voice of command that He used. He didn’t speak in the powerful wind
… or in the earthquake … or in the fire. When God spoke to Elijah it was in a
gentle whisper. It was the voice of comfort … the voice of concern … the voice
of love. That is God’s voice, too. That was the voice that Elijah needed to
hear.
Sometimes we try to paint one picture of God …
show Him the same way in every situation. God is so much more complex than
that. It’s not that God changes … it’s that God comes in the way we need Him …
in the way that is most appropriate to the occasion.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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