Suggested reading: 1 Kings chapter 19 verses 1-18.

Continuing with our meditations on the small things that lead us to Christ, we turn to the Old Testament prophet, Elijah. This chapter in his life begins with him hiding in a cave, where God asks a question, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He gave God his reasons for being there but they were excuses, rather than the truth! This led to him blaming others for the predicament he found himself in. He saw what was wrong with others but he was reluctant to turn the spotlight on himself.

The truth was that he had lost sight of God; therefore, he became occupied with his enemies, particularly king Ahab and Jezebel. A truly dramatic scene unfolded! God drew him out of the cave. A strong wind was followed by an earthquake and fire. Elijah would have felt ‘at home’ in the midst of these encounters They suited his temperament and He had experienced God working through such things in the past. However, how things ended would have taken him by surprise. God was not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire! BUT after the fire, there was ‘A STILL SMALL VOICE’ verse 12.

Elijah had arrived on the scene in Israel like the wind, earthquake and fire to awaken the people to their need of salvation; however, they needed the STILL SMALL VOICE OF GRACE, if they were to be truly brought back to God! Elijah’s ‘dramatic’ style of ministry was important but he had to be followed by the gracious spirit of his successor, ELISHA, whose voice and actions point us to Christ.

John tells us in his Gospel, ‘For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ’, John chapter 1 verse 17. The thunder of the giving of the law at Mt Sinai had to be followed by the still small voice of grace of Jesus Christ if men and women were to be reached and brought back to God.