Elijah heard God’s voice as a gentle whisper. God gave His servant a job to do. God showed Elijah the next steps in his ministry. But Elijah had to listen or he might have missed the gentle whisper of God. Sometimes, we’re so into God speaking through the dramatic and the powerful that we miss his gentle whisper. And this gentle voice of God came out of a time of depression.

Could it be that depression is often a signal of something to which we should pay attention? And could it also be that depression can be a means through which God speaks and commissions us to serve Him?

Even in times of feeling low and heavy, we can listen for God’s gentle whisper.

We can say:

* Lord, is there something you want to say to me through this?

* Lord, is there something you want me to be doing?

* Lord, is there a new direction for my life and ministry that you want to communicate to me?

* Or maybe, Lord, what do you want me to learn about you and about life thru this dark night?

* Lord, help me to hear your gentle whisper even through the dark clouds, which I don’t enjoy and which I wish weren’t a part of my life.

Did you notice what God told Elijah along with a new set of directives about how the prophet was to serve? God told Elijah he was not all alone. Elijah had complained: “I’m the only one left who is faithful to you. And now, they’re trying to kill me.” Truth was there were 7000 men and women in Israel who were faithful to God. God’s gentle whisper says: “No, my friend, you aren’t the only one. There are 7000 faithful ones that haven’t bent the knee to Baal.”

One of the important ways in which God’s gentle whisper reaches us is by reminding us of the community of faith. You’re not the only one. You’re not the only one being persecuted for your faith. You’re not even the only one depressed over how bad things are in Israel. I’ve got all these faithful people, Elijah. And you’re one of them.

You’re a part of something big, something that I, God, am doing. Don’t we need to hear that when we’re down in the dumps?

Depression can be a means through which God reminds us of the community of the faithful.

So there’s more to depression than a quick fix.

Maybe it’s a signal to us of something we need to pay attention to.

Maybe it’s God’s way of trying to get our attention so God can speak to us.

“What do you know about depression?” someone asks. Well, generally speaking, I’m at least a moderately optimistic person. The glass, for me is usually half full, not half empty. But I know enough of depression to be aware of how hard it can be to deal with. And I am beginning to know that even through depression God wants to speak. And in God’s gentle whisper there can be spiritual growth. There can be insights for my walk with God.

When I used to preach on depression, it was usually about how to fix it. Survive depression by getting over it fast! But now, I am calling myself and us not just to survive depression by getting over it quickly, but to listen to what God may want to say and do even through the “dark night.”

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H. Mark Abbott is Pastor of First Free Methodist Church in Seattle, WA.