A Gentle and Quiet Whisper
Biblical Stories of Healing
Reflection By Scott Stoner
Then Elijah 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.
- 1 Kings 19:11-12, The Message translation
In the book of 1 Kings, we read that Elijah became so overwhelmed and afraid that he asked God to take his life. This occurs right after he had triumphed over the prophets of Baal and had fled into the wilderness, fearing Queen Jezebel’s threats. Under a broom tree, he prays to God to let him die.
In the story, God intervenes through an angel and says, “Get up and eat.” Twice, the angel provides food and water. Strengthened by that nourishment, Elijah travels forty days to Mount Horeb. There, God asks, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” and then God’s presence is revealed to Elijah, not with an earthquake, wind, or fire, but with “a gentle and quiet whisper.”
God doesn’t judge Elijah for his fear and exhaustion. Instead, God provides rest, food, and a gentle presence. The fact that God appears in a gentle and quiet whisper reminds us that God’s healing voice is often quiet, and may be missed if we are expecting some grand and dramatic intervention.
Making It Personal: As we conclude our first week, we ask again what Brian Cole asked at the start of our week, “What do you see here?” What have you seen in these biblical stories of healing this week? Or in terms of this story of Elijah, what “gentle and quiet whispers have you heard?”