I read a story about a pastor who awoke one Sunday morning and proceeded to prepare for the church service as he usually did. However, as the hour for worship approached, he grew concerned: no one else was there!

As the hour for worship struck, the pastor sat on the chancel step in utter despair. Not one person had come to church. He had never felt so alone. As a pastor he concluded that he was a failure. He began to think mean thoughts about the church members. But, then the church door opened. In walked the organist nonchalantly. The pastor just stared. ‘‘What’s the matter, pastor?” the organist asked. Before he could answer, the organist noted the clock in the sanctuary of the church: ‘‘Oh, look, nobody’s turned back that clock yet.” The pastor sprang to his feet to change the clock, trying in vain to conceal his embarrassment. He had forgotten about daylight-saving time!

That pastor isn’t the only one who has ever felt alone in his faith. I have felt that way a time or two, when I’ve gone through challenging ordeals or when the attendance at a Bible study or worship was down. Maybe you have had this distinct impression as well.

Even the great and mighty prophet Elijah felt that way. He took a stand of faith, which angered the King and Queen of Israel. He was on the run for his life. He was alone and was very much afraid (1 Kings 19:9-18). Elijah ran to Mount Sinai, where he felt that he could find some relief. He wanted to resign his commission as a prophet. But, what he really wanted was for God to take his life.

What was God's response to Elijah? First came a powerful wind. But the Lord was not in the wind. Then came a mighty earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake either. After the earthquake came a fire and Scripture tells us that the Lord was not in the fire. God’s Word says, “And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him 'What are you doing here Elijah?'“

It was not the wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire where the Lord revealed himself personally to his servant Elijah. God came in an unassuming and quiet way. The King James Version of the Bible says that he came in “a still, small voice,” assuring Elijah that God was with him. He was not alone. God built Elijah up and gave him comfort and confidence. God told Elijah that Elisha would succeed him as prophet. There were also other people of faith. Despite what Elijah thought, he was not alone. He was not a washed up old prophet whose job was finished. God heard Elijah's complaint and then without fanfare, without a great show of power and strength, in a gentle whisper, God restored Elijah's hope and confidence. Elijah was then ready to carry on, to trust God, to have confidence and peace in the Lord! The still, small voice of God did all of that to a man who was ready to die!

God still comes to us in gentle, unassuming ways. When you feel abandoned, alone and uncertain, the Lord is still with you. When your family is in distress over sickness or death or some devastating problem, the Lord is with you. When you feel totally worthless, because some coarse sin has come into your life, you are not alone. The Lord is still with you. He is always with you. He is with you in his quiet, very gentle and personal way.

Although we cannot always see God’s hand at work around us, we can always hear his gentle whisper. Through the Holy Scriptures, God speaks to us, gently and assuredly. God dispels our loneliness by connecting us with others who believe in him. You are not alone! God is here with you, and there are other believers around you. God has never abandoned his people. His promises are trustworthy, regardless of the circumstances we may face. The Lord listens to us. He reveals himself in grace, assuring us that our sins are forgiven, and nothing can separate us from his love. In this quiet and plain way, God quiets our fears.

When you feel the pressure of this world mounting and you begin to feel all alone in your faith, when sickness and death visit your family, when everything in your life seems to be falling apart, remember then that God is only as far away as your Bible and the hearing of his word. Call upon him in the day of trouble and he will deliver you. Seek out his gentle whisper, his still, small voice, for in that gentle voice is his power to conquer all of our fears.