“What are you doing here, Elijah?” The still small voice of God spoke to the forlorn prophet. It was God’s direct answer to a very depressed, very tired, very frustrated, and nearly suicidal preacher’s prayer. He had prayed a very honest prayer some days before as he collapsed from exhaustion underneath a broom tree. In his prayer he had made only one last request of God. “It’s enough” he said. “Please now, God, just take my life”. He had been so very zealous for God and had hoped so much to see his beloved nation repent. And for a brief moment on Mt. Carmel he thought the victory of good over evil was finally being won. Surely because of the miraculous way God had showed up on that Mountain… Surely after the fire of God proved those evil prophets of Baal to be the frauds that they really were things would begin to turn around for the better. He was so confident in the Lord after the firey showdown that he had chased the false prophets down to the river and had them executed. But then all it took was one letter from an evil queen of darkness to steal his joy and bring him down to the brink of suicide. Rather than to surrender her authority and submit to the One True God who had defeated her prophets, Jezebel was more emboldened than ever. She had, in fact, sworn an oath and promised by her gods to kill Elijah in total revenge for what he had done. When he heard the voice of God, Elijah’s reply was “Lord, I have been very zealous for you preaching your truth and testifying to these people. And yet the nation has turned away from your covenant, torn down your alters, and killed your prophets. And I alone am left”. But God’s reply was “Get up and go”. There was work to do. God was not finished with him. There was a king to be anointed and another prophet for him to mentor, train, and pass his mantle on to. Furthermore, God had reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees had not bowed to Baal.
Perhaps, if we listen, the still small voice of God is whispering to the Church today. Perhaps the One True God is saying to his people “Where are you Church? Get up and go. There’s still work to do. There are nations that need to be taught. There are disciples that need to be made. There are those who need to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”. Perhaps all authority really has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth. Perhaps his promise is being whispered across the centuries just as surely as it was spoken 2,000 years ago. “Lo, I AM with you always. Even to the end of the age.”
