A God Whisper Moment: A Devotional Reflection on 1 Kings 19:1-18

Elijah Flees to Horeb

19 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled fortydays and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

The Lord Appears to Elijah

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LordGod Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountainin the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LordGod Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anointJehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elishason of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.

A Whisper in the Cave: It’s 4 a.m., and as I watch my newborn and husband sound asleep, I pause to thank God for His blessings. In the stillness of the house, I feel the presence of God. Perhaps you could say it was a whisper—a calling to commune with Him. Life has been busy lately with diaper changes and feedings, but here, in this quiet 4 a.m. moment, I feel God.

God’s movement isn’t always this obvious, charismatic display. I remember, as a child, feeling God on the bus rides to school as I quietly poured out my heart to Him in my thoughts. I can’t deny that I’m tired right now, but I feel the gentle nudge from God, and I know I must obey.

Elijah, too, was tired. Though his exhaustion was different from mine, I can relate to the feeling of weariness. Yet God met him in his fatigue. When we’re tired, worn out, or feeling down, God meets us in a way that is soothing. He comes to us in the way we need Him.

In the verses above, we see that God first strengthened Elijah with food and then with a gentle whisper. How amazing it is that a God so big would take the time to nourish us and speak to us—not with loud commands, but with a quiet, reassuring whisper.

God asked Elijah, "What are you doing here?" In other words, "There is still work to be done." He acknowledged Elijah’s exhaustion, His understanding of his fatigue, but also reminded him that there was still a purpose for him.

Sister, you may be tired today—overwhelmed, burned out, or afraid of what’s next. You may have your own reasons for hiding in your personal cave. But like Elijah, we have work to do. Could it be that God is whispering to you right now, asking, "What are you doing here?"

Where are your talents and gifts? Why are they hidden away in the cave? Just like God sustained Elijah, He will sustain you for the journey. If He called you to it, He will sustain you through  it.

It's time to come out of the cave, sis. This is your "God whisper" moment.

Your sister in Christ,

Zuleika