“After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” ~1 Kings 19:12

“After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” ~1 Kings 19:12

I LOVE this account in 1 Kings! Did you realize that God has a sense of humor? Read Chapter 18 first thru 19:18 and you’ll see the makings of a brilliant movie.

We see God in His glory in blazing fire from heaven defending His Name. We see His power in the prophet Elijah as he runs a marathon, keeping ahead of the horse and chariot of an angry king. And then, the loving tenderness of the same man, now broken and in mental anguish.

It also shows us that we can be at the height of our game in one moment and at the depths of despair in another, even in the same day. But God’s love for us does not change. [Malachi 3:6] He is the same yesterday, today and forever [Hebrews 13:8].

God didn’t yell at Elijah - He could have said, “You just went against 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah, against Jezebel and won in My name! You ran on foot for 20 miles. You just called the rain back on after a 3.5 year drought. How dare you sulk and have a pity party about being afraid of that evil queen. Don’t you see Who has your back?”

Instead, God loved Elijah, sending an angel to feed him and give him rest. When Elijah was restored, God showed him that His power, might and fury were available but His love meets us where we are with a whisper - a gentle caress. He showed Elijah that he was not alone - there were still 7000 Israelites who had not worshipped Baal. The remnant.

Take away: A nap and some snacks do wonders!

Written by: Bonnie Chovanec, 2026