December 10th in the year 2021 will long be remembered by many. It will never be forgotten for those of us who reside in a particular stretch of country covering about 250 miles over Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The last few days have been of great impact in my life and lives of many that I love and care for. The storms sucked up and swirled more than wood, metal, trees, and cars—the storms sucked up and swirled emotions of fear, pain, hurt, uncertainty, and grief. The physical debris field of this storm was between 25,000 and 30,000 feet tall according to the radar and meteorologist studies (that is more than 5 miles high for those of you who don’t like math). That debris field subsided and settled shortly after the storm passed over each home, business, and community it forever altered. However, the debris field of our emotions and memory does not settle so quickly. And for many it will keep swirling and sucking away life for a long time.
I have prayed much the last few days. I have not reflected as much as I should have. Until today. Today I was reminded of a passage and story in the Old Testament that has always intrigued me and lifted my spirits many times. I felt the need to write it with hope that it could help me begin to settle the debris field of emotions.
First, let me provide a bit of backstory to this account. I believe it is key to understanding the lesson God taught Elijah which is so pertinent for today. The story is found over two chapters in the book of 1 Kings, chapters 18 and 19. King Ahab and his wife Jezebel were ruling over Israel at the time, and simply put they were pure evil. They despised the teachings and laws of God and had resolved to kill every prophet of the Lord and turn the entire nation toward a false religion. The religion has been historically identified as one of debauchery, child sacrifice, and basic human defilement of all sorts. The places of worship had been destroyed (or replaced with ceremonial buildings of prostitution and human sacrifice), and the land was experiencing a severe drought. People where suffering. Amid these events, God sends Elijah to confront Ahab once and for all. A similar confrontation occurred when God sent Moses to confront Pharaoh in Egypt. Really it is a “Turn from your evil ways, or you will be hammered” edict from God to be delivered to Ahab.
I will not for the sake of time recount the entire story from 1 Kings chapter 18 here, but I would encourage you to go back and read the account. It is one of the most awesome stories of good over evil in the Old Testament. Elijah’s bold stand and famous ‘line in the sand’ speech (“If the Lord is GOD, follow Him; but if Baal is God, then follow him”) has been the theme of many sermons throughout Christian history. Summarized, God performs an amazing miracle because of Elijah’s faith and bold stand. The evil murderers of God’s prophets and little children are demolished, and their evil leader in Ahab is exposed and humiliated for what he truly is in front of the entire country. Elijah is now recognized as an anointed prophet, and the people are turning away from their wicked ways and back to God. There is Victory in an unbelievable showdown of good versus evil!
Until the next day, when Ahab returns to Jezebel (whom we find out is really the ultimate force of evil and power) and whines about his defeat and embarrassment in the showdown on Mt. Carmel. Jezebel is furious and makes a public decree to the entire nation. Within 24 hours, she will have Elijah’s head on a platter. Elijah is no longer hero of the people; he is now Jezebel’s most wanted and the entire evil force of her minions are coming for him. So, what does Elijah do? Well, after reading what God did in the previous chapter, one would assume that Elijah’s faith is off the charts, his adrenaline is high, and his confidence in God’s power is soaring. Obviously, he would just stand firm, call another showdown, and let God do His thing. Wrong. Elijah runs and hides. Elijah fears for his life, enters a state of depression, hides in the wilderness, feels sorry for himself, and asks God to just come and take him. He stood against Ahab, he stood against evil prophets and soldiers who were killing people and children for sport, and basically stood alone while being mocked. And was victorious! Just one day later Jezebel now wants him dead, and he turns tail with fear. (There might be some teaching in here where we can all relate to the old saying that “There is no wrath like that of a woman scorned” but I will not digress on that here).
And here is where we find some powerful events that should remind us of God’s power, love, and patience with all of us. Here is an excerpt from 1 Kings, chapter 19:
“ And there he (Elijah) went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Then God said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”
Note that God did not choose to speak through the power of the wind, or the earthquake or the fire. He chose to allow those elements of natural power to pass. Then He chose to speak His word in a “Still, small voice.” What did the ‘still small voice’ of God tell him?
So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
In my own interpretive and practical summary (without presenting an in-depth study of the history, culture, and hermeneutics of the passage) God whispers these promises of the future to him.
- I still have a plan for you.
- Get back up and face life head on, there is still much to live for.
- There is hope and I am still in control.
- I have new leadership that is ready to be anointed and called to bring change.
- Justice is mine.
- I will make things right for those who have done the great evil.
- You are not alone.
- Though you might not see them or know them, there is always a remnant of faithful followers of God’s truth.
The end of the story? God comes through just as he promised. Elijah puts his pants on, pulls up his boot-straps and does what God asks him to do. Justice is served. New leadership is established that returns the promises and teachings of God to the forefront of the country. Elisha becomes Elijah’s replacement as God’s anointed prophet and God uses him to bring amazing blessings to the people in the future. Bonus material—there is a gruesome but satisfying end to Ahab and Jezebel as they reap what they sowed in finality.
I know I took a long path to get to where I want to go, but humor my blog a bit longer. Here lies life truth that I have been deeply reminded of this week. Life is up and down. Life is victory and defeat. Life is good and evil. Life can be a storm and swirl of events that produces a debris field of emotional defeat. And if you are like me, in our weakest state, when we feel most defeated, we long for God to somehow show himself, show his power, bring justice, and speak hope and truth to us in some fantastic, over the top way. Maybe like God did in the miracle on showdown on Mt. Carmel—with fire from Heaven. The truth is that God is sitting behind the wind, the rain, the earthquake, and the fire with a simple “Still, small voice” that is ready to speak to us these constant truths.
- I still have a plan for you.
- There is hope and I am still in control.
- Justice is always assured.
- You are not alone.
I rode in my truck with a young man who whose home was destroyed in the tornado. His salvaged belongings in the back seat. He was quiet and still in a state of shock from piling in a laundry room floor, surviving with his family. I was trying to imagine the swirl of emotion in his mind and soul just hours after a night he will never, ever forget. Thankful for the victory of surviving with his life and the lives of his family? I’m sure thankfulness was there. Anxiety and fear of the unknown future? I’m sure that was there. Doubt and wanting to ask God why? Guarantee that was rumbling inside. Those were just my internal attempts to empathize as we rode in the quiet of my truck cab. I had been in a similar situation before in my life. I was heartbroken for him and his family. I just reached over and put my hand on his shoulder and tried my best to assure him that this was going to be ok. I’m not sure he heard me, and it doesn’t matter. I know this, when the time is right God will speak hope to him with HIS still small voice. And God will speak of a future, of hope, of justice, of power, and that he will never walk alone.
God is speaking following the storms. He is speaking through His still, small voice in miraculous ways. He is speaking through rescue people who will not quit despite exhaustion. He is speaking through family, friends, and strangers who listen to His still, small voice and show up at just the right time, with just what is needed. He is speaking through financial donations from people not able to use a chainsaw but are willing to open the checkbook. He is speaking through those who are praying. He is speaking through small groups of people grieving but standing in the devastation and singing and worshipping together. He is speaking through our government programs with assistance being provided. He is speaking though churches and non-profit groups showing up with food, laundry services, medical supplies, and clothes.
God never promised we wouldn’t have to endure storms, pain, suffering, injustice, and loss. The debris field of memory and emotion from these times of struggle may never completely be removed. But our God is a God of hope, love, justice, power. God does promise this. Through every storm His still small, voice is right there assuring us that He loves us and that He has a plan for us as long as we live. If there ever were a time people need that truth, we live in it today. As people move further away from faith, trust in God, and the truth of scripture, life after the storm becomes a life defined by the debris field that never goes away. May God help us and use us to speak hope and love, spread hope and love, and live hope and love as we move forward. If we continue to do that, God’s “Still, small voice” will ring in high volume to those who desperately need it.
Thoughts of Another Traveler... 
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