Elijah had just executed all the prophets of Baal with a sword. Yet, he ran for his life after Jezebel vowed to kill him in retaliation. Perhaps he felt God had forsaken him because he prayed to die (1 Kings 19:4). But God had other plans for Elijah that did not include death. It seems that Elijah's faith and physical strength had failed. What he really wanted was to see and hear from God.
“I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Then He [God] said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces 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 a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:10-12)
Life is full of strife and heartache. It seems we win one battle and immediately face another. We become soul weary, and just so tired of it all. Sometimes we just think 'Lord, please, just take me home.' However, with each battle we face and defeat, we become stronger in the Lord. The more we depend on the Lord, the stronger our faith grows; the stronger our faith, the stronger our witness grows.
There are times we just want to hear a word from Him. Unlike those in the Old Testament, He doesn't speak audibly. I sometimes wonder how it felt to actually hear His voice. Did He sound like thunder during a storm, full of authority and power? Did His voice shake the earth and bring a paralyzing fear? Did He speak in such a way that there was no doubting God or His instructions? Or was His voice full of life, laughter and love that sounded as chimes in a high wind? Did He have the dulcet tones of a dove, soothing and touching a troubled soul?
No matter how His voice sounded, we still have to be silent and listen for that still, small voice that Elijah heard. Although God could have spoken in authority and power, He chose to speak in that gentle voice that we cannot hear if we are listening to the world. Satan will try anything to get us to hear him; he is loud, vulgar, and speaks in the roar of the world. But God speaks gently, a voice upon the breeze. We cannot hear Him unless we stop and listen for His word. We cannot hear Him amid the voice of this world. We can't hear Him if we are complaining about the traffic or the government or our family. We can't hear Him if we are harboring a grudge or unforgiveness. We can only hear God when we stand quietly and listen for His glory which can be heard everywhere; from the birds in the trees to the crickets in the grass. It is in the silence of our soul where we hear God speak.