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Why Me…Why This?
The scene was of a small British Army garrison surrounded by a superior hostile enemy at the battle of Rorke's Drift. A terrified eighteen year old knew his end was near, death awaited on the morn. In blackness of night this youthful Private afraid of dying asked, “Why is it us? Why us?” The question was posed to his Sergeant, a man more than twice the boy’s age. The tough grizzled veteran of many battles responded thusly, “Because we're here, lad. Nobody else…just us.”
When life doesn’t go your way, seems overwhelming, when your circumstances feel crushing, unbearable, you may wonder as I have: why me…why this? My answer, stolen from the sage British Sergeant, has been always the same, silently to myself, because I’m here, just me. My human side has often believed this to be true.
Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 1 Kings 19
This prophet of God, a man of great courage and faith, found his circumstance changed in the blink of an eye, going from a great victory on Mount Carmel to sitting under a wispy tree for shade in a barren wilderness and feeling deeply discouraged, hopeless. How can one so close to God become so dejected? The answer is all too simple: he was but a man like me, like you. When Elijah focused on his circumstance, on his misery, the injustice of his plight, his natural reaction was despair and self-pity. And make no mistake; Satan was after Elijah, attacking when the prophet was at his weakest. Satan will use these times in our lives, when we’re most vulnerable, to turn our hearts from God (1 Pet. 5:8-10)!
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 1 Kings 19
Odd phrase…the sound of a low whisper. Some commentators say that God spoke to Elijah with a calm low volume voice. Others say “the sound of a gentle stillness.” Darby in his translation says "soft gentle voice." By any means, God was close by, patiently mercifully waiting for Elijah to respond. God called to His downtrodden prophet in the dialogue that followed, helping His servant to rise up and back to the work of a prophet. God still speaks to us today, when we are weighed down by life’s burdens and have crawled into our figurative cave of self-pity and despair... He speaks in a low whisper. Some may call it our conscience; others say it is our training, our knowledge of God’s teachings. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
So how does that work? How can we take these words from a page to a reality that we can see and feel? Perhaps, my story can lend a face to its meaning.
A few months ago I observed the 47th anniversary of my mother’s death. You see, it is forever tied to my birthday, following one day after. I had just turned eighteen, was on my way to college, but in one moment, a telephone call in fact, I was taken from the pinnacle of youthful exuberance to a cave of despair like that of our prophet, Elijah. It’s been said: “In a time like this, there are three courses open to man: He may give way to despair and become bitter. He may endeavor to drown his sorrow in drink or in a life of wickedness. Or he may turn to God.” As a bitter young lad, I turned my back on God, on the teachings and example provided by my earthly father, pursuing a life of sin. But when we live ungodly, we deny ourselves the most precious gift we can enjoy: “those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love” Jonah 8:2. We turn away from God’s love, even though He is close by, waiting. But I was a Christian; the training was in in me. The voice of God lingered in my mind in a low whisper, until the day arrived when I returned to what I had been taught, my training from the Bible, to the Lord’s will. It is called a trained conscience. God still speaks to us, though not through great winds, or earthquakes, nor terrible fires. He speaks to us with the sound of a gentle stillness. He is close by. We can choose to ignore, put off, and deny His love…but at our own peril.
In the days of Elijah, God spoke directly to His people. Today, when we find ourselves overtaken with despair at seemingly insurmountable challenges of this life, God is with us still, though He speaks in a “low whisper.” He calls to us through His Word. The Bible teaches us everything we need to know in order to be saved and live the Christian life: 12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit,” Hebrews 4
Our Savior cares for us, for He has endured any trial in which we find ourselves. He has compassion. 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4
Our God, all powerful Creator of this world, Giver of life, knows you and knows your troubles. How comforting it is to read: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7. How wonderful it is to read that we face our challenges not alone but rather with the compassion of our God and spiritual Father. So, when we ask: why me, why this?... the old British Sergeant’s answer was a bit wrong. It’s not just us. It’s never just us, so long as we humble ourselves before the Lord: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40
Danny Pickett
