"And after the fire came a gentle whisper" (1 Kings 19:12).
The OT prophet Elijah had just witnessed the mighty hand of God. Even though He had saturated an altar with water, the fire sent down on it from God burned up his offering. The spokesmen of the false god Baal were defeated in a show of power between Baal and the true God of the Bible.
Now the intense persecution began. Elijah was a hunted man. The queen had sworn to kill him. From Elijah's perspective, he was a forgotten man of God. He saw himself as the only faithful person left who still kept the covenant that God had given to His people.
But God assured Elijah that he was not alone. God had preserved others who also remained faithful. So God sent Elijah to Mount Horeb to await further word from God.
There, God sent a mighty wind that even broke rocks on the mountain, but God was not in the wind. Then He sent an earthquake, but God was not in it. He sent fire, but God was not in the fire. Finally, God whispered in a still, small voice. And this is all Elijah needed to know that God remembered him in mercy.
When things go desperately wrong in our lives, and it seems we are alone, all we need is God's voice found in the Holy Scriptures. His Word is preserved on the pages of the Bible. Here He speaks to us. We study His Word and we hear His voice telling us that in the mercy of Jesus Christ, He has redeemed us with His everlasting power!
Persecution for His name's sake is as old as sin itself. Stay strong, dear friends. Don't compromise the Christian faith. Others before you have remained faithful to Christ. God in His mercy will preserve you, too.
-Dale
