After being part of such a great event as he was, Elijah allowed himself to be overcome by human concerns and ran in fear of Jezebel after she threatened his life. If anyone should have understood the power of God at that time, it was Elijah. So why did this happen to him? Why did he allow mere mortals, pagans at that, frighten him the way they did? Although he was a prophet of God, he was still human.
In this story, we see just how much personal care God is willing to provide to those who are faithful to Him. God could have easily, and justifiably, punished Elijah for the way he reacted. But he didn't. He loved him too much.
What I like is how God asked Elijah the same question twice, first before He revealed Himself in the whisper, and after. He saw that Elijah was scared and hurting because of all he had done for the Lord, and all the people had responded that they wanted to kill him. He was no doubt very depressed. But God didn't get angry with him, He attended to him. He revealed Himself to Elijah to let him know that God was with him, and would not abandon him. God even went so far as to promise human help in his future endeavors to show Elijah that he wasn't going to be alone. (vv 15-18). He didn't send the human help because it was necessary for anything other than to give Elijah calm and peace.
Have you ever felt just drained after finishing a big project? Ever felt alone after a big event full of people? I sure have. I have had times, where I just felt physically and emotionally wiped out, and often times very alone. The great news is that we aren't alone. God is always there for us, and willing to show us the same personal care that He showed Elijah. No matter how far we may feel removed from God, we are never further away than a whispered prayer. As David said, "I can never escape from Your Spirit! I can never get away from Your presence!" (Psalm 139:7).
It may sound like a cliche, but it's true (how do you think a cliche becomes a cliche?). How do we respond? As the beloved Apostle John said, "This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another." (1 John 3:11). God wants us to love each other as He first loved us. He wants us to show the same personal care and attention to others that He gives to us. That's how we know and show others that we belong to Him - by our love. When we are given much, much is required (Luke 12:48). And we have been given A LOT.
There is no sin in being human. That's how we were made. If you are feeling disconnected from God, which can happen very easily, don't be afraid to take the issue to Him in prayer. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. When we approach Him in the right way - in humility and repentance - He is faithful to reveal Himself to you and give you the personal care and attention that He delights giving to His people. And He does it in different ways to everyone, as we saw in the passage earlier. Just because we are expecting Him in the fire or the earthquake, He is most often in the gentle whisper. The only question God won't answer, is the one that isn't asked. Even though He already knows what's on our hearts and minds, we still have to ask.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being You. Thank You for showing us all so much love and attention and personal care that we could never earn or deserve, but that You freely give out of love, compassion, mercy, and grace. I pray that when I do feel disconnected from You for whatever reason, that I will humbly seek You more, and that I will remember that it isn't how I fall, but where I land. I pray for those that feel alone, and feel as though they have been abandoned. My prayer is that You will reveal Yourself to them, and show them that they are loved by You and all Your people. I pray that I can be used by You to show love to those who need it. That I can be a beacon for Your light to shine through for whomever I encounter. In the Blessed name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
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