Elijah and the still small voice
I Kings 19
There was once a man called Elijah. He was a prophet. Listened for God’s voice and tried to help people to do what was right.
Difficult time to be a prophet. Elijah had a hard dangerous job.
Israel was ruled over by a bad king and queen. King Ahab was very weak – just did whatever he felt like, didn’t think
Jezebel was a wicked bully. She tried to make everyone do what she wanted – if they didn’t there would be trouble!
But the more Elijah told people to listen to God instead of Jezebel the more furious Jezebel got. Eventually Jezebel got so angry she decided to get rid of Elijah. She sent him a message.
I’m going to get you, she said. I’m going to kill you. I’m going to shut you up forever – you wait and see.
Elijah got the message. Now Elijah was a brave man, but this was just too much. He was terrified. He got up and he ran – just as he was, in the clothes he stood up in. He ran right out of the house, right out of town, right out into the desert where there was no one around. He ran all day and when night came he was out in the middle of nowhere. All there was was rocks and one solitary tree. Elijah was exhausted, fed up with trying to stand up to Jezebel. What was the point? He might just as well give up.
He fell into a deep sleep, but he didn’t realise that God was watching him. And God knew what he needed. In the night God sent an angel, with some bread and a jar of water. When Elijah woke up there it was, and the angel standing by it.
Elijah – eat the food and get up. Go to the mountain – God wants to meet you there. Elijah was very puzzled, and still very fed up, but he did what the angel said. He ate and drank and trudged on through the desert until he came to a huge mountain called Horeb. He climbed up the mountain till he came to a cave, and he went into the cave to wait.
He didn’t have to wait long before he heard God’s voice calling to him.
Elijah, what are you doing here?
It’s no use God. I’ve tried and tried and tried to do your work, but Jezebel keeps stopping me. I’m all on my own – just one voice – there’s no one else that’s listening to you. It’s all useless. And now Jezebel wants to kill me….
Wait and watch, said God. I’m going to show you that I’m always with you.
How would this be? Elijah was very curious. So he went out of the cave and stood on the mountainside.
Wind – rushing and roaring. Was this God – showing him he would blow all his enemies away? But no. God wasn’t in the wind.
Earthquake – God smashing all his enemies to pieces? God not in the earthquake.
Fire – God burning up all that was wrong? God not in the fire.
Everything went quiet – calm – like a still pool of water – deep, deep, deep. Elijah felt very peaceful, very still. And in the stillness, from deep within him he heard a little whisper, a still, small voice. Elijah – I’m here. I’m with you. You’re not alone – you’re never alone, because I will never leave you. You may not be able to see me doing great dramatic things – wind, earthquake and fire – but that doesn’t mean I’m not there. All you have to do is be still and you’ll find me.You’ll find me in others too – there are lots of good people, even if you don’t see it at first, who want to help you.
And Elijah knew that however hard things were, God would never leave him. He wasn’t on his own at all.
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We all feel scared sometimes. We think we can’t do something – too hard, all on our own.
But that story helps us to remember that if we can calm down, we might hear a still small voice helping us. Might be that we will remember something we’d forgotten – we knew the answer all along. Might be that we’ll be able to hear what a friend is saying or a teacher or mum or dad helping us.
Prayer – Be Still – breath in and out and listen.
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