The gentle whisper of rest
And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.
-1 Kings 19:12 (NLT)
The depression of Elijah, which we dubbed as “The Elijah Syndrome”, shows us how we must never underestimate our need for rest; literally rest as the angel instructe -- “Eat, sleep, eat” -- for such practical admonition is the immediate response by which we address crisis and prepare for a long journey. As it says “for the journey is too much for you”.
Physical rest is not an end in itself, nor should it be treated as luxury rathe. It is a non-negotiable need. Having stated that truth, let us also remember that prolonged rest may lead to a life of laziness and indifference. Elijah must connect his rest to the journey he must go through to meet God on the mountain of the Lord! Mt. Sinai was Elijah’s destination…a holy spot where God thundered His commandments to Moses but where God spoke in a gentle whisper to Elijah!
God speaks any way He wants to speak. Honestly, God’s powerful shout is awesome and His gentle whisper is really unusual. Let’s take time to hear the thunders of the supernatural and listen to the gentle voice of the unusual. Elijah heard, but the real issue is…did he really listen? God’s whispers of grace are much needed for a wounded soul. Try this; the only way out from the webs of complications we got ourselves into is to listen again to the gentle whispers of our Shepherd. Here are some
God speaks any way He wants to speak. Honestly, God’s powerful shout is awesome and His gentle whisper is really unusual.
REV. ARNEL TAN Columnist
thoughts for us to quietly ponder:
Omnipotence can be small
God being so big is a given. God becoming small is a holy mystery of incarnation. His voice is heard in a whisper. Along with this “smallness” of God come these precious gifts of grace…the wonder of incarnation, the Humility of the Divine, the gift of Silence, the Strength of Simplicity, the Joy of Surrender.
Ordinary life removes the pressure of proving and performing
Free from the demands of the office of a prophet, God called Ezra for a 40-day journey to Mt. Horeb where they would meet. The humour behind it is…why would Elijah need to journey when God could meet him where he was? As we prayerfully ponder on this matter, we see the humour melt and slowly see a precious gem, the 40-day journey mysteriously gave Elijah time to reflect about being ordinary and obscure again. Perhaps, the spiritual and political influence he possessed had somehow contributed to his depression? Being ordinary helps remove the pressure to be noticed. Releasing Elijah from the bondage of overdoing and over-expecting helped him slowly recover from the addiction to power and give way to meeting and anointing his replacement, Elisha. Oh, the wisdom of the Almighty!
Obscurity powerfully enables powerlessness
A private dialogue with God happened on the Holy Mountain. A heart-to-heart talk instead of a long lecture then begins ‘heart-to-heart healing’ of the soul. The Lord asked Elijah a calm and heart-searching question “Elijah what are you doing here?” opening a venue for the Prophet to look inside his heart and learn to listen to God’s gentle whisper…an invitation to commune with God , a holy stirring to contemplate and eventually, a timely empowerment to perform his last assignment. Elijah answered God honestly, “...... I’m the only one left, they killed all your prophets and now they want to kill me too, said Elijah. Frankly, Elijah’s answer revealed 3 things 1.Frustrations. 2. Fatigue. 3.Fatalism. God’s gentle whisper offered him to find rest again by being obscure so he could focus on God! Obedience flows from a rested soul.
Did Elijah really recover from his depression? It depends on what your standard of recovery is? If you mean good as new and without damage, then Elijah had not recovered. Some damage bears a lifelong scar and relapse. Perhaps, the full circle of Elijah’s recovery was completed in heaven. The chariot of fire came as a vehicle of grace transporting a scared and damaged man of God for a hero’s welcome in heaven.
Recovery from spiritual fatigue remains a mystery to be taken in faith. The more important question is, do we still listen to the gentle voice of God? The earlier we admit and apply our powerlessness, the more our inner self avails of physical and spiritual rest. The gentle voice of God is God’s gracious reminder that we are never alone! God will equip us to live a simple ordinary life, if not in status, at the most, in the heart! God is known in Obscurity, the best songs are composed; in the wilderness of brokenness. God makes us realise that spiritual recovery occurs in his terms and that His love is neither inspired by our performance nor is it abandoned by our limits and inabilities. The unconditional love of God is our ultimate rest!
Straight from my heart, I plead with you to step back and listen to God’s gentle whispers of rest.