“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.”
1 Kings 19:11-12 (NIV)
Elijah, the prophet, was in a cave hiding out, depressed and waiting to die. Overwhelmed with fear and grief after Queen Jezebel had all the prophets killed. Now he was the only one left, and her assassins were out searching for him. While in that cave, he was emotionally exhausted and prayed,
“I have had enough, Lord, take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he laid down and fell asleep, but God sent an angel to wake him up twice, to force him to eat and drink.
God shows us through this story, how much He cares for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. He sent an angel just to ensure that Elijah ate and drank, in order to keep him nourished.
Looking outside his cave, Elijah observed a powerful wind, followed by an earthquake and then a fire, but God did not speak through any of those forces of nature. Instead, He came to Elijah and spoke in a gentle whisper that overshadowed and swept over him like a comforting breeze. The whispering voice asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He told God that all the prophets had been killed and he was the last one left. Then God told him to “Go back…”
God sent Elijah back to the chaotic world he was running from, and informed him that he was not the only one left, but that there were 7,000 other people, who were also believers and followers of God. Elijah left the cave, found those other prophets and believers, and the cruel rulers were soon replaced by a just king, named Jehoshaphat.
The Soul whisperer let Elijah know that things were not as bleak as he once feared. He learned that he was never alone, and the situation was not as desperate as he perceived it from his cave of despair.
God sees our anguish and comes to us with a gentle whisper, inviting us to go back and resume our place in this world, as He walks with us, to restore us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. That same gentle voice of God, later embodied Jesus, as He spoke in the same tender way,
“Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
It’s easy to become overwhelmed with negativity when we face so much discouragement. When it seems that we have nothing left within us, the Spirit comes to us where we are. I can totally relate to Elijah, in his cave, being depleted emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Between 2018-2019, I was taking care of Stephen, my late husband, who was diagnosed with ALS, and passed away within a year. During that time, I couldn’t get away to attend church or read scripture, and barely prayed much during those months. I was living on a spiritually empty tank, until some weeks after he died, when a friend gave me a Christian music CD.
One day, as I was listening to music, I felt God’s loving presence, as if a voice was whispering deep within my soul. It wasn’t an audible voice, but somehow I knew that the Holy Spirit was saying to me, “I want you back.” In that moment, my soul responded and something transformed within me.
I believe the love of God comes to every person as a Soul whisperer, continually inviting them to return to Him, speaking inaudibly to every human soul. He wants to walk beside us through this life, and He wants everyone to come back to Him, in some way. Once we respond to His gentle whisper, it’s like a healing balm to our soul.
Caves and mountain tops are good places to escape to, for prayer or meditation, but they were not meant to be permanent dwelling places. The Soul whisperer calls us out of our caves and off of our mountain tops. He whispers to us in our isolation, and brings us back to the noisy, chaotic, real world, so that He can walk with us on our journey of faith.
Sorrows and losses happen in our lives, which make us feel we cannot walk with the same vigor as we once did, but the Soul whisperer tells us, “Walk with whatever you have left, and I will be with you all the way to the end.” He equips us to walk a new path and showers us with new mercies each day. It all starts with a gentle whisper, saying, “Come back, I will be with you.”
Lord, help us to hear what you are whispering within our soul, and to receive your healing as you draw us out of our cave, and show us new mercies, so that we may share your love and gifts with all those around us. Amen