WHY DOES IT SEEM SO HARD TO HEAR GOD?
And behold, the LORD was passing by! But the LORD was not in the wind. But the LORD was not in the earthquake. But the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire, the sound of a gentle blowing.
1 Kings 19:11-12
The great prophet, Elijah, was fleeing for his life. Wicked Queen Jezebel had vowed to kill him. Elijah fled to the mountain of God called Mount Horeb (another name for Mount Sinai where Moses received the ten commandments). Elijah was so depressed and fearful that he prayed for death. He desperately needed God to reveal Himself to him and speak to him. And God did, but in a strange way.
God brought a great rushing wind that broke the rocks apart, but God was not in that ear- piercing wind. Then God brought a mighty earthquake that violently shook the mountain, but He was not in that either. Then He brought a blazing, roaring fire. But God was not in any of the BIG, NOISY displays of power. God was in the gentle blowing, in that still small voice.
HOW DOES GOD SPEAK?
Does God shout at His children? Does He speak in thunder clap tones that shake us to the core? He surely can speak loudly like that if He desires, but the truth of the matter is He rarely chooses that method. God's primary way to speak to us is in a soft-toned whisper. Why is that?
Think about it for a moment. If I speak to you in a whisper, you have got to do two things in order to hear me:
1. GET QUIET - God speaks in a whisper so we would get quiet before Him. He wants us to turn off all the outside noise and distracting sounds so that we can give Him our focused and undivided attention. Young Samuel got quiet before the Lord and prayed, "Speak LORD, for your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:9). Are YOU listening today?
2. GET CLOSE - God speaks in a whisper so we would draw near to Him. More than anything, that is what God wants from us. He wants us to get close to Him, close to His heart. The Apostle John had such a close relationship with Jesus that he literally laid his head on Jesus' heart at the last supper. When you and I are that close to Jesus, we can hear every whisper that falls from His lips. How close are YOU to Jesus today?
THE CHALLENGE
Will you take time today to get quiet and get close? God wants to reveal Himself to you. He wants to speak to your heart. He invites you into His open arms. The promise is clear, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8).
The ball is in your court. The King of the universe, the God in whom nothing is impossible, stands ready to lovingly guide, counsel and empower you. What is your answer to Him?
Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve,
From His Heart Ministries
Dr. Jeff Schreve believes that no matter how badly you may have messed up in life, God still loves you and has a wonderful plan just for you. From His Heart provides real truth, love and hope on over 700 radio stations each day, in 182 countries each week on TV, and is always available online. Pastor Jeff takes no income from this ministry. All donations go to furthering the broadcast outreach. As a listener/viewer supported ministry, we thank you for joining with us to help speak the truth in love to a lost and hurting world. Go to www.fromhisheart.org for more information.
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