It would be easy to think that the whole world is in a crisis right now. The pandemic, racism, climate change (or emergency if you prefer), the US elections, a developing war in the Caucasus is plenty on top of all the usual problems humanity has to face. The stream of crisis news is unrelenting and does not look like ending any time soon. As a result, many pastors and leaders are staring at the crisis and trying to figure out what to do. Don’t. Take it from Elijah.

I was recently on a Zoom call (what else) with some other leaders and we were listening to a devotional from the life of Elijah in 1 Kings 19. The focus of the talk was on something else but in chapter 19 there’s the famous section about the ‘still small voice’.

¹¹ The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in 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?”

1 Kings 19:11-13

I don’t think you can read the passage in any other way than to see the wind, the earthquake and the fire as sent by God. This isn’t a bad day in California. These events precede the Lord and are from the Lord and each one is a crisis event. Tornado, earthquake, wildfire. Each one devastating, powerful, terrifying.

But Elijah was not to focus in on the crisis and look there for clues, the crisis was not to be the source of his calling. Identity lies elsewhere, in the gentle whisper. Elijah is despairing of his own personal circumstances and he feels worse when he thinks of the state of his nation. He is at such a low ebb that he wishes he was dead but God intervenes and promises to meet Him and essentially give him a fresh commission.

So if anything each crisis event is a test for Elijah – will he in his depleted emotional state stare at the hurricane and wonder what God is doing? Or the earthquake and the fire?

The parallels with today are easy and obvious to draw so we should draw them. Don’t stare at the crisis, don’t look at it for clues and meaning, pass the test by waiting for the gentle whisper of His Word which will commission you with fresh purpose and hope.