“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. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””
Have you ever felt like you were just done with it all?
Elijah had just experienced one of the most dramatic victories in the Old Testament.
On Mount Carmel, he had stood against the prophets of Baal while God answered his prayer with fire from heaven. The people fell on their faces and confessed that the Lord is God. It was the kind of moment that seems like it should have left Elijah overflowing with confidence.
Instead, shortly afterward, Elijah was exhausted, afraid, and running for his life.
Queen Jezebel had threatened to kill him, and Elijah fled into the wilderness, sat under a tree, and asked God to let him die. God didn’t kill him. In fact, God told Elijah He would meet him. Elijah made his way to Mount Horeb, where God told him to stand before the Lord.
Then came the wind.
It was so powerful that it tore into the mountains and shattered rocks. But the Lord was not in the wind.
Then came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake.
Then came fire. But the Lord was not in the fire.
Finally came what the ESV describes as
“the sound of a low whisper.”
Elijah covered his face and went out to meet the Lord.
Perhaps Elijah expected God to act in the same dramatic way He had acted on Mount Carmel. After all, fire from heaven certainly gets people’s attention. Yet God showed Elijah that He was not limited to the spectacular.
We can easily make the same mistake.
We may look for God primarily in dramatic experiences, sudden answers to prayer, extraordinary signs, or moments when we can clearly see Him changing our circumstances. When those things don’t happen, especially during a difficult season, we may begin to wonder where He is.
But God’s apparent quietness does not mean His absence.
This is especially important when we are weary. Exhaustion has a way of narrowing our perspective. Problems seem larger, hope seems farther away, and God’s work can become harder to recognize.
Elijah’s story reminds us that God was still there.
He had not abandoned His prophet, and He was not finished with him. God spoke to Elijah, gave him direction, and assured him that he was not as alone as he thought.
God still comes to weary people through means that can seem remarkably ordinary. We open a Bible and hear His Word. We gather with other Christians and hear the Gospel proclaimed. We receive bread and wine, and Christ gives us His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.
None of these may look as impressive as fire falling from heaven. Yet God has promised to meet us there.
Jesus Himself came this way. The Son of God entered the world not with the spectacle people might have expected, but as an infant laid in a manger. He accomplished our salvation through what looked like weakness and defeat on a cross.
Jesus is not done with you nor will He leave you or forsake you.
So when you are weary and wondering where God is, you don’t need to wait for something spectacular.
Return to where He has promised to be. He will meet you there.
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father,
When I am tired, discouraged, or afraid, I can easily wonder where You are. Help me not to measure Your presence by how dramatic my circumstances seem. Draw me again to Your Word and Your promises, and strengthen me through the gifts You have given Your Church. Thank You that in Jesus You have come near to me and will not abandon me.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
