Saturday, December 19, 2009

Learning to Hear God's Voice: Gentle Whisper


 
 
Gentle Whisper
1 Kings 19:11-12
Then a great a 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.

There is something to be said about the gentleness of our God.  There is something to be said about the fact that He is never pushy.  There is something comforting knowing that He is never loud.  He does not choose to enter into our lives with a roar.  He does not resort to force in order to make Himself known.  No, He comes gently.  He comes softly.  He comes sensitively, allowing us to choose whether or not we will be the recipients of His glory and majesty. 

We, on the other hand, find it difficult to fathom that kind of God, for we have developed our own way of making ourselves known.  For most of us that way requires great volume.  It requires generating a loudness that can be heard among the other voices. 

And so, with that mentality, we live our lives looking for a God who comes like a rushing wind.  We spend our time trying to listen for a God that comes like the shattering of the rocks, to see Him in the blaze of a fire, and to feel Him with the intensity of an earthquake. 

And in the end, He is not there.  In the end, we find that we have missed Him.  In the end, we realize that in our search for immensity, we have missed His gentle whisper.  There is something to be said of a God who approaches us with such softness.  A God who requires us to get quiet, to get close, and to get intimate in order to hear his gentle voice whispering in our ears.  A God who does not choose to compete with the clamor and clatter of this world. 

A God who comes into our worlds with the tenderness of a babe, revealing Himself to us as a soft whisper.  A God who can be heard by those who are intimately listening for His voice. 

May you be patient to wait for the wind to pass, for the fire to subside, and for the earthquake be still.  And in the end, may you choose to listen for His gentle whisper in your life. 

4 comments:

  1. weird! i just read that verse for the first time a couple of days ago! I like it. it's interesting to think about definatly.
    "There is something to be said of a God who approaches us with such softness. A God who requires us to get quiet, to get close, and to get intimate in order to hear his gentle voice whispering in our ears. A God who does not choose to compete with the clamor and clatter of this world."
    thats my favorite part
    your blogs are always my fav!

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  2. Kaycee, that's so crazy you just read this verse a few days ago and now you read it again today...I love when God takes verses out of the most random books of the bible and uses them to speak to us. I think some of my favorite verses come from the most random places like Hosea, Habakkuk, and Ezekiel.

    Glad you are a fan...people like you are what keep me inspired to write. Trust me, sometimes I need a little extra inspiration! Feel free to pass this blog along to anyone who might also enjoy the read. And thanks for your encouragement!!!!

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  3. "A God who does not choose to compete with the clamor and clatter of this world."

    When I read this, all I could think was Amen! I have a lot of deadlines to meet before 4 o clock here at work, but I decided to take a little time to read one blog post of one of my friends, and I'm so thankful it was yours. Now, as I go back to the hectic lifestyle and busy work schedule, I will know that God is still there. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Marty, glad I could encourage you my friend. It's always a challenge to step away from the chaos of life and find God in the stillness...glad you were able to do so today, and I hope you met your deadlines at the end of it all. Thanks for the encouragement!

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