Can You Hear it?

Shhh.......can you hear it?


Kings 19:9-13 (NIV) ~

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

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. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

As a teenager, I remember sitting on a boulder on top of a mountain, and dedicating my life to the Lord for His service.  As I looked out at the majestic hills, I wanted to hear from God.  I wanted to do big things for the Lord and I wanted to hear from Him in a big way.

However, as my life as progressed and as I followed Him into full-time ministry, I'm learning that while God does speak with a loud voice from time to time, more often than not, I find God in the quietness and smallness of life.

Elijah wanted to hear from God as well.  He was frightened and wanted answers.  He stood on the mountaintop and God promised Elijah that He was about to pass by.  As Elijah stood there, a huge storm came.  An earthquake occurred.  Fire happened.  But the text tells us that God was not in these things.

He was in the gentle whisper.  Elijah had to strain to hear it.  And when he did hear it, what was his response?  He covered his face in awe.

Are you still enough to hear God's voice?  It won't happen with fire and brimstone.  It's not in the loud roar of television preachers.  It's not in books from authors who say they speak for the Lord. 

 

It's in the smallness of life.

 

In the quiet beauty that often goes unappreciated.

 

 

In the small acts of service that often go unnoticed.

 

 

God is in the smallest details of life.  His presence is with you as you clean that toilet for the 15th time this week.  His voice can be heard as you rock and comfort your child.  He is with you as you bandage a knee.

 

Listen for it.  Tune out the noisy, the raucous, and the showy.  If that means getting off Facebook or shutting off the computer, than do it!

 

Be still and listen to the gentle whisper of the Lord today.