Throughout the bible, God can be seen through the great works he does as well as the immense power he displays. However, by looking for signs of God in only large displays of power and miracles, you might miss Gods voice. Elijah and St. Anthony understood this, they saw value in solitude. But what does solitude have to offer that makes it worth the commitment? By examining what St. Anthony and Elijah were looking for or maybe even found in solitude, we might be able to better appreciate this worthwhile practice.
Elijah is concerned for his life after being threatened by Jezabel, so what does he do? He fled to the wilderness in solitude. Soon Elijah finds himself at mount Horeb (KJV) or in the Septuagint it says, “Mount Choreb”. This is the mountain of God and Elijah is seeking help. The Lord tells Elijah to go stand on the mountain and to wait for him to pass by.
“And, behold, a great and strong wind rending the mountain, and crushing 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. And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: And after the fire the voice of a gentle breeze” – Septuagint, III Kings 19:11-12
Notice how God was not in the “big stuff” like the earthquake or the fire, but instead came in the gentle whisper of a breeze. This shows how significant it is to find solitude, because without it, Elijah might not of heard the fragile words of God through the breeze. Similarly, St. Anthony also pursued and practiced solitude, but perhaps for slightly different reasons than fleeing for his life like Elijah. There is something about being alone that draws one closer to the presence of God. Listen to the description of St. Anthony in, The Life of St. Anthony by St. Anthansius, after being in solitude for nearly 20 years, “Anthony, as from a shrine, came forth initiated in the mysteries and filled with the Spirit of God”(Paragraph 14). Notice how it says he was filled with the spirit of God. That means there is no room for grief, sorrow, anxiety, or worrying. Only the spirit of God. But in order to do this, St. Anthony had to separate himself from the world and surrender himself to God. While both St. Anthony and Elijah were in Solitude to seek God, they used it in different ways. Elijah used is as a way of communication to plead for help and ask what to do. While St. Anthony used it more as a tool to grow closer to God in general.
This could possibly be why so many people feel disconnected from God. We often spend to much time looking for him in the “big stuff”, but he often isn’t there. God shows himself in the subtleness of a gentle breeze. In the busy world we live in today, it can be hard to separate ourselves enough to be able to hear that gentle breeze and hear Gods voice. So if your waiting to hear from God, maybe he is already speaking to you, your just not listening close enough.
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