Whisper…

“After the fire came a gentle whisper.” 
I Kings 19:12

Ever really needed to hear the voice of God and wonder why He’s not talking to you? Yeah…me, too! When I am in that place, it seems so desolate. I went to Pastor Bill Coleman’s class yesterday and he spoke on that very subject. What do you think of when you hear the word desolate? 

Lonely 

Barren 
Empty 
Dead

Ever been there?

Mount Horeb

Elijah ran there in 1 Kings 19 trying to get away from Jezebel and Ahab. He had just killed all the prophets of Baal and prayed fire down from heaven to consume the sacrifice and rain down on drought stricken land. But then he ran to Mount Horeb and the only path there was through a desolate land.

He was alone… 
The land was barren and empty...
He asked to die. 

Pastor Bill both reminded me and enlightened me with this message. His enlightenment… "Our place of desolation is our place of preparation.” That statement tied in with Pastor Ron’s message of the week before on the Promises of God. Remember? Sometimes while waiting on the promise God made to us we

Wait in faith 
Wait while preparing 
Wait and fight 

I believe my place of desolation is a place to wait while preparing. When Elijah was on his way to Mount Horeb, he stopped a day's journey into the desert and said, “I’ve had enough…I’m done, take me now.” (paraphrasing again) In this place, this barren, lonely, empty place, God ministered to him. Fed him twice - Enough to sustain him for a forty day and night journey to Mount Horeb where he then found a cave.

Ever had God ask you, “What are you doing here?”
What was your answer or reaction? A pity party? Me, too.

Elijah did, as well. “I’ve done all this good stuff, and I’m the only one left, and I’m tired and they want to kill me.” Here’s the reminder Pastor Bill gave me…the still small voice of God. I don’t know why, but whenever I need to hear from God I look for “Earth, Wind and Fire”. No, not the group from the 70’s…But earthquakes, windstorms, fire from heaven…something big!

“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. After the fire came a gentle whisper.”
I Kings 19:11, 12

I forget about the whisper. I heard it twice this weekend. Once it said, “No.” And once it said, “Go back”. God told Elijah to go back. He said “Go back the way you came.” He went on to tell him to anoint a new king and put to death another. Those were not my instructions. God told me “No” to one direction and “Go back” in another. When we ask God for instruction, wisdom, direction or even “why?”…let’s not forget to listen to the still small voice of God...

The Whisper…..