At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs 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. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. (1 Kings 19:11-12)
In the early 20th century, Grant Tullar wrote a poem entitled “The Weaver” (also known as “The Tapestry Poem”) which was often quoted by Corrie ten Boom. In it, the poet compares our lives to the underside of a weaving, which does not show the beauty of the tapestry, but rather is knotted and ugly. However, God sees the beauty of the top side, which shows how he uses difficulties to form our lives.
In this part of Elijah’s story, Elijah is looking at the underside of the tapestry and is ready to give up. He tells God, “I alone am left and they (Ahab’s armies) are looking for me to take my life.” Elijah watches as the Lord passes by. He sees a great and mighty wind, an earthquake, and a fire. But the Lord does not speak through these disasters. “And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.”
What did God whisper to Elijah? Well, we don’t know, but as the result, Elijah was emboldened to continue his ministry. In the imagery of the poem, God must have given Elijah a peak at the top side of the tapestry. He must have shown Elijah that his plan that was not going to be changed by the current situation and that even the current difficulties were useful for God’s plan. Then he told Elijah that he was not alone as he thought, but that there were 7,000 in Israel that had not turned to Baal worship. God was indeed the Mission Commander and the mission was on schedule. Elijah engaged in the mission.
What about the tapestry of your life? How often do you focus on the difficulties, forgetting that Jesus is your Mission Commander? He promises, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Do you cling to that promise? He also tells us, “You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world” (John 16:33). Do you think that sufferings are out of God’s control? Another time, Jesus told his disciples, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2) Are you scared, like Elijah, hiding in a cave, or are you boldly trusting the Mission Commander?