One of my most favourite stories in the Bible, and one of the most beautiful moments to me, happens in First Book of Kings chapter 19. It’s when prophet Elijah finds himself running away from his calling and purpose because he becomes exhausted and afraid and hides himself in a cave.
And while he’s there waiting on God and hoping for some big memorable experience with Him, Elijah walks outside the cave looking for how God is going to appear.
Scripture says there was a powerful wind tearing through the mountains, but God was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. Then came a fire, but God was not in the fire either. God very well could have decided to speak to Elijah in these loud moments but He purposely chose not to and it fascinates me.
And after all of that came a still small voice. A very gentle whisper.
And that was where God was talking to Elijah. Not in the big things, but in the very small thing.
“And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” — First Book of Kings 19:12
To me, this is one of the most beautiful metaphors for life and it has stuck with me every single day since reading it.
Because I think a lot of the time we’re searching for God in the really big miraculous moments. The miracles. The mighty ways He makes Himself known to us. The huge breakthrough moments.
When the majority of the time, He’s actually hidden in the small details of our everyday lives and wants to be included in every single moment.
And it’s definitely not a bad thing to search for Him. Scripture literally tells us to seek Him. The more we seek Him, the more we find Him. The more we reside in Him, the more He resides in us.
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” — James 4:8
But I think it’s so easy to get lost in searching for Him in the big moments that we forget He’s already in every tiny detail of our lives, waiting for us to speak to Him about everything.
From the moment we open our eyes in the morning to the moment we close them at night. The way we speak to the people we love. The way we handle our sadness and stillness. The quiet joy we feel on little walks. The gratitude over a latte. The ordinary moments we think nobody notices.
But He does. He’s in all of it. He knows our beginning to our end, our start to our finish, because He’s the one who knit us together in our mother’s womb.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” — Book of Psalms 139:13
He knows when we sit down and when we rise. He knows every thought before it even reaches our tongue.
“You know when I sit and when I rise…” — Psalms 139:2
“Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.” — Psalms 139:4
There is not one thing about our lives that is insignificant to Him.
So it makes complete sense that He is in every small detail. Every small moment.
And the more we recognize that God is already in every small moment, not just the big ones, the more we begin incorporating Him into every single part of our lives, and the more we begin to feel Him there with us at all times.
Not just in the moments we need Him most. But in every single moment.
And the more we focus on knowing He’s in every small moment, the more He becomes the center of our lives, and the more our lives begin reflecting Him, His Word, and the perfect will He has for us.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” — Matthew 6:33
If there’s one thing you take from this, let it be this: Don’t fall for the idea that closeness with God only comes from huge moments and miracles. Your relationship with Him starts with something much smaller than that.
It starts with knowing He’s there with you all the time. Forever and ever. Because those tiny little moments are often what lead us into the big things with Him.
And somehow, even in the biggest moments of my life, they always lead me right back to the small ones with Him again. Over and over again.
