The Whisper

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 this passage, Elijah is coming off one of the most impressive Yahweh vs idol battles of the bible. He was the only prophet of God and he had just gone up against 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah. Yahweh won the battle by sending fire that consumed Elijah's sacrifice. The 850 prophets were killed and Elijah's number one nemesis Jezebel threatened the life of Elijah. Elijah's courage was gone and after asking God to just kill him, he found himself alone in a cave. He was alone, exhausted, and scared. His fear, like ours, paralyzed him and made him self-centered. His self-centeredness only fueled the fear and the cycle continued.

Being the father of a two-year old has provided me with more than a few opportunities to speak into the life of a self-centered, exhausted, and fearful child. When Joshua is scared he doesn't need to see how strong I am. He needs to know I'm calm. More often than not, my response to Joshua's fear is a whisper that tells him daddy is here and he isn't scared.

Elijah saw the fire, felt the earthquake, and heard the wind - all signs of God's power and might. But his comfort came when he heard the sovereign whisper.

I am thankful to hear the comforting whisper tonight. I'm thankful to know my Father is on his throne and in control. There is nothing to fear, because the perfect daddy whispers comfort in the midst of the most terrifying circumstances.