The major events that occurred in 2020 could have easily discouraged most, caused many to slip in and out of depression and did take more than a few out of this life into the next. At the helm of all of this were the many voices that spoke so loudly in our minds that they drowned out the voice that really mattered.
I am reminded of the Prophet Elijah who had become physically and emotionally exhausted after doing the Lord’s work. He had not been living a life of perpetual sin but found himself depressed and oppressed anyway. The man was tired! When he went into that cave, I imagine that it became his own personal hideaway. We all have our own personal places of retreat. It can be inward or outward. I am referring to the place where we do not want to be bothered with anyone or anything. The place where we just want to not do anything that truly matters to anyone! But the truth is that we cannot afford to allow ourselves to remain in this state too long because it can slowly and methodically creep up on us, overtake us and trap us and we will not even be aware that it has happened.
Elijah was desperate and was looking, with expectancy, for God to speak to Him concerning his situation. He looked for God to come as He had before he retreated into His own personal hideaway. He looked for God in the wind, the earthquake, and fire but He was not in any of those. Instead, God showed up in the most unexpected way; He spoke to His beloved in a still small voice. He spoke to him in a gentle whisper, no drama, no manifestation of power that demanded attention…just a whisper. It was only after he truly heard the gentle voice of the Father that he received instructions for what was next.
May the voice of God take preeminence over all the other voices that are speaking…he who has ears let him hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying!