I love this story in I Kings:

Elijah, a prophet of God, is discouraged.  He tells God that he has been zealous for Him but now people are out to kill him, and Elijah says he’s the only one left proclaiming God’s name.  The Lord replies to him (I love it that the Lord always talks to us!) and instructs him,

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks 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 came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 

This is so cool.  God’s presence came to Elijah in a gentle whisper, after a powerful wind, shattered rocks, and an earthquake!  What?

Elijah heard God’s whisper and again told God that he has been faithful but he’s the only one left serving Him, and people are out to kill him.

It took all of that activity, whispering in Elijah’s ear, and speaking directly to him for Elijah to finally hear his answer he was asking for, which was,

"… Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

This is a powerful story of a discouraged man who is complaining before God about feeling as though he’s the only one left who is faithful to serve.  Have you been there and felt that way?  

But God knew of 7000 others who had not bowed to Baal (a false god).

Sometimes we look for God to speak to us in power, wind, and rain and sweep away our sorrows and answer all of the things that puzzle us.  But very often, his presence comes in a still small voice that we will only hear when all of the other noises have subsided.  And in that voice and in his presence, he assures us that we are not forgotten.  

In fact, we are surrounded with his faithfulness.