12.07

The Whisper (God & Kara)

1 Kings 19:9-13

“9 At that place he came to a cave and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” 11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking 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, 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Elijah had done everything right, but things were still looking grim. He went looking for the Lord to find answers. Surely the Lord would speak in the wind, or the earthquake, or if not that, the fire. The Lord did not choose to speak to Elijah in the noise, he instead chose the quiet.

I’ve had moments like this in my life when making decisions. Maybe you can relate too. You’ve done your research, looked at the budget, and made your pros and cons list. Every piece of evidence points in one direction, except the pit you feel in your stomach when things get quiet (in the car, when you are falling asleep at night, etc). The noise of the world, the noise of your own thoughts is telling you to go one way, but the Lord is quietly whispering where you should actually be. 

God has led me in whispers: when it didn’t make sense, when there wasn’t room in the budget, when I had to go on faith. Following those whispers has led to some of the best decisions I have made.

Lord, whisper to us, guide us, and let us pause long enough to hear it. Amen.

—Kara Glenn