19 1-2 Ahab reported to Jezebel everything that Elijah had done, including the massacre of the prophets. Jezebel immediately sent a messenger to Elijah with her threat: “The gods will get you for this and I’ll get even with you! By this time tomorrow you’ll be as dead as any one of those prophets.” 3-5 When Elijah saw how things were, he ran for dear life to Beersheba, far in the south of Judah. He left his young servant there and then went on into the desert another day’s journey. He came to a lone broom bush and collapsed in its shade, wanting in the worst way to be done with it all—to just die: “Enough of this, God! Take my life—I’m ready to join my ancestors in the grave!” Exhausted, he fell asleep under the lone broom bush. Suddenly an angel shook him awake and said, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked around and, to his surprise, right by his head were a loaf of bread baked on some coals and a jug of water. He ate the meal and went back to sleep. 7 The angel of God came back, shook him awake again, and said, “Get up and eat some more—you’ve got a long journey ahead of you.” 8-9 He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep. Then the word of God came to him: “So Elijah, what are you doing here?” 10 “I’ve been working my heart out for the God-of-the-Angel-Armies,” said Elijah. “The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed the places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I’m the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me.” 11-12 Then he was told, “Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.” A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.
13-14 When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, “So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?” Elijah said it again, “I’ve been working my heart out for God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I’m the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me.” 15-18 God said, “Go back the way you came through the desert to Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazael; make him king over Aram. Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi; make him king over Israel. Finally, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Anyone who escapes death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu; and anyone who escapes death by Jehu will be killed by Elisha. Meanwhile, I’m preserving for myself seven thousand souls: the knees that haven’t bowed to the god Baal, the mouths that haven’t kissed his image.” 19 Elijah went straight out and found Elisha son of Shaphat in a field where there were twelve pairs of yoked oxen at work plowing; Elisha was in charge of the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak over him. 20 Elisha deserted the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please! Let me kiss my father and mother good-bye—then I’ll follow you.” “Go ahead,” said Elijah, “but, mind you, don’t forget what I’ve just done to you.” 21 So Elisha left; he took his yoke of oxen and butchered them. He made a fire with the plow and tackle and then boiled the meat—a true farewell meal for the family. Then he left and followed Elijah, becoming his right-hand man. 1 Kings 19 (The Message)
As a child, I was confused by this story from the life of Elijah the prophet. Just before this, Elijah had challenged the prophets of Baal and Asherah. He was outnumbered 850 to one, yet he stood defiantly, and asked the people of Israel to choose between their false gods and the one true God. God had produced fire on the mountain and shown His mighty power, while the false prophets were humiliated and later slain. It was a stupendous victory! And yet, Elijah, when told of Queen Jezebel’s anger, fled in terror, hid in the wilderness, and asked for death! Surely, Elijah remembered what God had just accomplished. Surely he knew that the same God who sent fire and ended the drought could protect Elijah from harm. Didn’t he? And I expected that God would react with consternation at this display by Elijah–how ungrateful to throw such a pity party after God had done such a miracle!
But God did the most curious thing. He could have sent a powerful reassurance. He could have ordered Elijah to return to the palace to deal with the wicked king and queen–finish the job and bring divine justice to Israel’s ruling family. He could have called Elijah out over his bad behavior and lack of faith. But God let Elijah whine and run away. And after Elijah threw a temper tantrum, God sent an angel to bring him food and water. Finally, God allowed Elijah to see His power in the forms of a mighty wind, an earthquake, and a fire. And it was THEN, and only then, that God spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice– a whisper– something so intimate and comforting that Elijah could not fail to recognize that it was the voice of God.
God CAN and will do mighty miracles. But so often, He prefers to work in a whisper. He is Glorious, and Powerful, and Omnipotent– yes. But He is also intimate and gentle and nurturing– especially with those who have ears to listen; those who have been broken down; those who need a quiet voice of reassurance and peace.
As I have grown older, I see so much in this passage that I couldn’t see as a child. I see how often I “lose it” just after I think I’ve won a great victory. I see how many times God has come to me in whispers and little gestures– just when I need a gentle hug and a simple reminder of His care. God is not the one who points out my temper tantrums and lack of faith. God doesn’t yell recriminations at me– even when I know I deserve them! I see how often I throw a tantrum, and expect God’s wrath, only to be met with His arms around me, calming me, lifting my head so I can look into His eyes of compassion and mercy. God is my Father– and a gentle, wise, and loving Father. And when He draws me close– He whispers of His Love.
Yes, God sent fire from the mountain. He caused justice to be done upon the false prophets. It was mighty; it was fierce; it was devastating. God IS a God of wrath– and even prophets can get wounded in the fight. There is evil in the world, and when we stand up to it, it is exhausting– even when we know God is with us. But God knows our limits. He will often give us more than we can handle– in our own power– and He will pull us through the kind of trials that test and stretch those limits. But He is also preparing a time and place of rest and His quiet whispers of encouragement and hope when we are tempted to give up.
God didn’t just whisper empty promises or nice-sounding platitudes when He finally spoke to Elijah. He brought a new message– someone else would be God’s instrument of justice for Ahab and Jezebel. Someone else would come alongside Elijah in his ministry. And someone else (7,000 someone else-s in fact!) WERE being faithful. Not only had God been with Elijah in the past, God had been preparing the future for Elijah to receive rest, and for others to rise up and carry on. He could have shouted this message from the mountaintop. But He wanted to whisper His message of hope to a faithful prophet who needed quiet reassurance after a difficult battle.
I don’t know what God wants to whisper to me (or to you) today. But I pray that we will have ears to hear, and hearts to respond. And God will whisper to us, whether we just defeated an army of enemies, or just woke up from a much needed nap! He will gently remind us that He loves us in our tantrums just as He loves us in our victories. And He will whisper, because that’s how close He really is in our every moment!
It’s been very windy here lately. Even when the sun is shining, the wind still makes it feel like winter (which, technically, it still is)! I don’t know that I have ever bothered to thank God for wind. After all, most of the time, we think of wind as being destructive–tornados, hurricanes, typhoons–winds tend to blow things over, knock things down, and they are often accompanied by water in the form of rain, waves, or hail.
God created wind. He uses it for many good purposes that we may ignore or take for granted:
God used winds to dry up the waters after the great flood. (see Genesis 8:1)
God used a strong wind to blow locusts into Egypt as one of the plagues demonstrating His power to Pharaoh. He used another strong wind to blow them back out of the land and into the Red Sea. (see Exodus 10: 13-19)
God used a mighty wind to blow on the Red Sea, dividing the waters and allowing the Israelites to escape from the Egyptian army that pursued them. (Exodus 14)
Wind moves things. Without at least some wind, the air becomes stagnant, wind-borne seeds cannot find a home, and flying creatures must work harder to stay aloft. Wind can act as a cleanser, blowing away dead leaves and dust so that new growth can occur. Wind moves the waters– from gentle ripples to white-capped waves–pushing along the boats and ships over lakes and seas. Wind bears clouds and brings gentle rains and shade from the harsh sun. Wind can be directed for power in windmills and wind tunnels. Wind can even “sing” as it whistles through bare tree branches or moves wind chimes.
One of the most unusual uses of wind in the Bible happened to the great prophet Elijah. In 1Kings19:11, God told Elijah to stand on the mountain. Elijah had fled for his life from the wrath of Jezebel and Ahab. He was discouraged to the point of death. God sent a strong and destructive wind, but His presence wasn’t in it. He sent an earthquake, but His presence wasn’t in that, either. Finally, in the stillness, God appeared to Elijah and gave him a message of hope and encouragement. Sometimes, the winds come, not as a judgment, not as a message, but as a signal that God wants us to be still. HE is the mover; HE is the wind– but He is also in the middle of the stillness, if we are ready to listen!
I don’t know that I have ever bothered to thank God for wind. I take it for granted when it is gentle, and I dislike it when it is destructive– even when it just musses my hair or makes me shiver on an otherwise sunny day. But today, I thank God that He has the power, wisdom, and authority to use wind for His purposes. May He blow away all that is old and stagnant in my life, and move me to see His power at work in the world around me today. Thank You, God!
*Warning– The following poem is a work of fiction. The first part of this post is meant to reflect emotions that may be associated with depression and suicide. The represent things I have heard, and some things I have said…
Do not ask me, “How are things going?” Things go on around me. Things happen at me. Things are not going– of if they are, I am not going with them…
Do not ask me, “Are you ok?” I will say, “Sure, everything’s fine.” Not because it is; not because I am, and Not because I care whether you believe me. It is what I will say because it gives you permission To feel good about asking, without actually having to Share the pain and fog and futility of my honest answer.
Do not ask me, “How are you doing?” I am not doing– not much of anything. I live surrounded by unfinished tasks– Stacks of unwashed dishes and piles of dirty laundry; Unpaid bills and unopened mail. I forget to eat or brush my teeth; I have trouble finding the energy to remember how to Smile, use polite words, look up, function…
How do I pray for someone like this? How do I pray AS someone like this?
Depression is devious and deadly. It impacts thousands of lives, and takes thousands of lives each day. It is easy enough for me to say, “Snap out of it!”, or to blame the person who chooses to think and act negatively. After all, attitude is a choice. We choose to look at the positive or negative in life, and no one else can choose for us what to think or how to feel.
What we can choose– all of us– is to turn our focus on God and away from the negative. I cannot rescue someone else from their own emotional demons; I cannot save myself with “positive” thoughts. I CAN cry out to the one who loves me more than I love myself– even on my best days–that HE would transform my thinking, and bring light into the darkness of those who cannot see past the fog and mire of their own gloom.
And I can stop asking the surface questions– “How are you?”– prying and digging without being prepared for the raw ooze and festering pus that comes with honesty. Those questions may be well-meant, but they often come without context or conviction. They can become a polite way of skirting the obvious– we EXPECT the reassurance that everything is fine; and when it isn’t, we feel obligated to come up with a quick cure for a problem we haven’t fully diagnosed.
Depression is scary– both for those who experience it and those who encounter it in someone else. Ignoring it, covering it up, or trying to force it into the background doesn’t help. Nor does it help to wallow in it, trying to micro-manage it or hyper-spiritualize it.
The same God who listened to Elijah begging to die just after his momentous victory over 450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 19: 1-14); the same God who listened to David in exile, Jonah from the belly of the whale, Moses in the midst of rebellion and exhaustion, and Job from the ash heap– He listens to us in our weariness, our grief, our confusion, and our depression. This is the same God who Himself experienced the agony of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-42), and expressed a soul “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”
If you are struggling with depression, even if you question whether God is listening, you can still pray. God will never ask, “Are you ok?”– He already knows. Moreover, He already knows the best that He has for you.
If someone you know is struggling with depression, PRAY! But don’t stop there. When Elijah was depressed, God sent food and water. When Moses was struggling with the entire nation of Israel in the wilderness, God sent food and water– and wisdom from Moses’ father-in-law. Practical help, positive reminders, and consistent care DOES make a difference. I cannot begin to tell how many times a random smile or compliment has helped stem the tide for me. Someone I haven’t seen in awhile who doesn’t just jump in asking how I’m doing, or how I’m feeling, but instead comments that it is good to see me–someone who admits that they have struggled, and found grace and healing– someone whose primary goal is not to “check up on me,” or “fix me,” but rather to interact and connect and to be “present” with me.
Losing someone to suicide is horribly painful, and it is tempting to carry a load of guilt and unanswered/unanswerable questions. PRAY! And then PRAY some more! God won’t send easy answers; He won’t take away the pain of loss; though He will provide healing and grace. But God will do as He has promised– to BE with us, no matter what, and to give us a peace that passes all understanding. God never punished the people in the Bible for feeling depressed, or for crying out in despair. God didn’t tell them to “Snap out of it,” or to “Get over it.” But neither did He coddle it. He did not rescue those, like King Saul, who fell on their own swords rather than falling on their knees.
Please pray– but don’t ignore practical help. Even simple steps, like taking a shower, paying attention to sleeping, eating, and drinking habits, making sure you move/exercise/stretch throughout the day, can help. Ask for and accept help– true help–and beware of asking for “substitute” help that will enable you to continue with unhealthy thinking and behavior.
Pursuing Prayer 