A STILL SMALL VOICE

1 KINGS 19:1

A. THE PROPHET ELIJAH
  1. He was a man of power - ". . . the spirit and power of Elias," Luke 1:17
  2. This power revealed itself on a number of occasions:
    1. In the contest with the priests of Baal - 1 Ki. 18:21-46
    2. In his conflict with King Ahab - 1 Ki. 21:20-22
  3. He was a man of passion, like other men:
    1. It was not too difficult for him to take vengeance on his enemies - 1 Ki. 18:40
    2. He, too, became discouraged and attempted to run away from difficulties - 1 Ki. 19:1-15
B. A STILL SMALL VOICE
  1. God taught this mighty man some very timely lessons about the presence of the Lord:
    1. He showed him where God is not, in a most practical way and very impressively too -
      1. God is not in a windstorm - Winds of Doctrines - Eph. 4:14; Wind of disposition - Matt. 11:7
      2. He is not in earthquakes - Spasmodic terror. Think of the children of thunder - Mark 3:17
      3. He is not in fire - Eloquence and oratory are not necessarily God's means to carry the message of truth - 1 Cor. 2:1-6
    2. He showed to him further where God is -
      1. In stillness - "a still small voice" - in it there is great power. Think of the power of the sun!
      2. There is great assurance forever - Isa. 30:15; 32:17.
      3. In smallness - (a) Saul's beginning - 1 Sam. 15:17 (b) Gideon's beginning - Judg. 6:15 (c) David and Goliath - 1 Sam. 17:45 (d) Saul becomes Paul - Acts 13:9
C. A TIMELY LESSON FOR OUR DAY
  1. We live in a power conscious age:
    1. There is no parallel in history.
    2. Physical science has done the impossible - Dan. 12:4
    3. Power is in evidence everywhere, the kitchen, the barn, in the field.
  2. Yet, there never has been a time when there was greater unrest and uncertainty than now: Luke 21:25, 26
    1. Nervousness among the people is on the increase.
    2. This is due to the constant uncertainty among the people.
  3. Some facts about the quiet life of a true Christian:
    1. Their knowledge that their cause is right makes them quite assured - Dan. 2:13; 3:14-18
    2. Their absolute reliance upon God - 2 Ki. 6:17
    3. Their awareness of the purpose of the power possessing their lives makes them quiet - 1 Sam. 17:42-51; 1 Ki. 18
  4. Nature can teach us some valuable lessons:
    1. The movement and behavior of the heavenly bodies is so quiet that there is, as yet, no means to measure their quietness and precision.
    2. There is no way of determining the power of the sun, yet it is so quiet that we have no perception of its movement.
  5. The lesson for us is: quietness is God's method of calming the troubled heart: Ps. 23; Matt. 11:28-30; Isa. 30:15
  6. Noise is, as a rule, a sign of emptiness: We have seen that demonstrated on many occasions.


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