By DANNY MINTON

Frustrated and depressed, Elijah made his way to Mt. Horeb, the mountain where Moses had received the commandments from God almost 600 years before. It hurt him that the people of Israel failed to listen to the message from God and had turned their backs on Him. Now, feeling alone and in a state of depression, Elijah came to the mountain to hide and live in his self-pity. It is there, hiding in a cave, that God found him and spoke.

“What are you doing here, Elijah?

He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 

So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! 

And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks 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.

After the earthquake, a fire.

But the Lord was not in the fire.

And after the fire, a sound of a gentle blowing.

When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said:

What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9-13 NASB)

If you’ve read some of my writings, you’ll know I like this story since I’ve referred to it often. We are so much like Elijah that it fits our lives, especially as we struggle to allow God to give us peace in times of stress. Elijah was a tormented man far away from the peace of God in his heart. When we have conversations about peace, it primarily concerns the topic of harmony between people. However, there’s another type of peace the Bible wants us to contemplate. It’s the peace that we have within ourselves. Like Elijah, we can find ourselves depressed and feeling alone, wondering where God is while feeling low, sad, and abandoned. 

I recently listened to a story of a lawyer who found himself in a small plane with a pilot who had passed out. Not only did he not know how to fly, but the weather added to his misery and fear. He and a friend with him, not knowing how to control the plane, were expecting the worst. When they could finally contact a controller at the airport, they heard a calm voice trying to reassure them that he could get them down safely. He told them, “My job is to get you home safely; that’s my job. But he said, here’s the deal. If you want me to get you home safe, you gotta promise me you’ll obey my voice. He said you can’t see me, but I can see you. If you’re not going to obey my voice, you’re gonna die.” (Excerpt from David Gibbs sermon, “Listen to the Voice.”)

So many of us do not have the peace of God in our lives when things get tough. We are like Elijah, feeling alone, hiding from the world, and not listening for God’s voice. We must constantly remind ourselves that we can’t see Him, but He can see us. He knows and understands what we are going through. He wants us to be at peace, but we can only feel that way when we listen and know He is with us in all circumstances. 

When we wake at night with worry, God says, “I’m here with you. Listen to my voice. You can’t see me, but I can see you.” When you feel sad about losing a loved one, God says, “I’m here with you. Listen to my voice. You can’t see me, but I can see you.” When you are depressed over health, finances, or life situations, God says, “I’m here with you. Listen to my voice. You can’t see me, but I can see you.” When you struggle with relationships, God says, “I’m here with you. Listen to my voice. You can’t see me, but I can see you.” When you feel the weight of jealousy or envy, God says, “I’m here with you. Listen to my voice. You can’t see me, but I can see you.”

The voices of our problems often conflict with our ability to gain inner peace from the voice of God, drowning out the voice of the one who is always there for us. The voice of God continually tries to encourage us and give us hope when things in our lives are weighing heavy on us day and night. We do not hear God because we aren’t listening. We are letting His voice be overshadowed by the voices of our problems that seem much louder than His. Here’s a test. Close your eyes for a moment and listen. I’ll wait. What did you hear with your eyes closed? Did you hear something outside? The TV? A strange noise. Did your mind stray thinking, “What’s that smell?” Were you thinking about what to eat? Did your mind wander? Did all these noises keep you from hearing God? Now, try it again. Close your eyes for a moment and listen, but this time, like Elijah, ignore the winds, earthquakes, and fire. I’ll wait again. Did you hear what He was saying to you? Did you hear God’s voice speaking to you? Did you hear, “I love you?” Did you hear, “Be at peace?” Did you hear, “I’m pleased with you?” “I’m here for you?” “I’m not going anywhere?”

A twelve-year-old boy became a Christian during a revival. The following week at school, his friends questioned him about the experience. “Did you see a vision?” asked one friend. “Did you hear God speak?” asked another. The youngster answered no to all these questions. “Well, how did you know you were saved?” they asked. The boy searched for an answer, and finally, he said, “It’s like when you catch a fish, you can’t see the fish or hear the fish; you just feel him tugging on your line. I just felt God tugging on my heart.”

To have that inner peace, we must feel God’s voice tugging on our hearts. Knowing and listening to God can give us the peace to carry on. It may be in a quiet place or viewing a sunrise or sunset. It could be when we see a rainbow or gaze at the stars. It might come from words of hope or encouragement from someone we meet. These are the gentle breezes that blow by speaking to us. Paul put it this way to the Philippians, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6,7 NASB)

After Jesus and His disciples left the last meal, on the way to the garden to face His destiny, He spoke to them words of encouragement. He then told them, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NASB) Remember, when things aren’t going well, stop and listen for God in the gentle breeze. God always says, “I’m here with you. Listen to my voice. You can’t see me, but I can see you.”

David Gibbs, his friend, and the pilot landed safely. He listened to the voice.

Danny Minton is a former Elder and minister at Southern Hills Church of Christ