I have a friend that is trying to determine God’s will in his life. He asks for direct communication with God Himself, but none is forthcoming.
Or is it? I told him that I pray and God answers me without uttering a single word.
God always responds to my prayers in due course. God however has His own ways of making a point dependent upon the situation. He spoke to Elijah in 1 Kings 19. “And he said, ‘Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD”. And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces 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 sound of a low whisper’”.
This passage concerning the ‘still small voice’ described above in 1 Kings 19 is revealing about the nature of hearing God. Though he easily could have shown His tremendous power and glory by speaking from the hurricane force wind, or the earthquake, or the fire, instead His was a matter of quietness. To me this illustrates that God more often speaks in whispers than thunder, and that sometimes the most spectacular signs are the ones that pass by almost unnoticed.
The point of God speaking in the still small voice was to show Elijah that the work of God need not always be accompanied by dramatic revelation or manifestations. Divine silence does not necessarily mean divine inactivity. Zechariah 4:6 tells us that God’s work is “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” meaning that overt displays of power are not necessary for God to work.
This is not to say that God never communicates in such a manner. Elsewhere in Scripture, He is said to communicate through a whirlwind (Job 38:1), to announce His presence by an earthquake (Exodus 19:18), and to speak in a voice that sounds like thunder (John 12:29). In Psalm 77:18 His voice is compared to both thunder and a whirlwind.
I go to Him in prayer and I can best describe His answer as a feeling of inner peace and calmness. I suppose the comforting still small voice is secreted somewhere deep inside me, perhaps mysteriously hidden within my soul. If I feel an uneasy restlessness often accompanied by a feeling of dread, it is time to get back on my knees and keep praying. I’m either off track in my prayers and perhaps asking for the wrong thing, or dark demonic forces are trying to steal my joy. I keep praying for God’s answer and His protection and the answers to my prayers are always revealed.
I urge you to look for God’s still small voice in your prayer life. But keep in mind that because He is God, He is not confined to a single manner of communicating with His people.
I’m often led to a particular Bible scripture and though unspoken I can clearly hear the words of God speaking to me. The Bible states that it is “living”. In Genesis we know that the word of God is Jesus and we know that He is living. He talks to us through His word and we talk to Him through prayer.
I used to yearn for God to physically reveal Himself to me even if in a dream or vision. Jesus stated to the disciples that those who believe and have faith in Him without seeing Him were “blessed”. I think the same concept applies here. The gospel is a gentle voice of love, grace, and mercy, of peace, pardon, righteousness, and the free gift of salvation through Christ. I don’t need a physical manifestation and to tell the truth I think it would be an overwhelming frightful experience to be in the presence of the living God Creator of all and hear Him thundering away. In Revelation 4:5, we’re told that lightning and thunder proceed from the throne in heaven.
Yikes!
I’m content with the still small voice that serves as a soul whisperer and brings me inner peace and calm in a chaotic crazy cold world.
John 20:28
Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
July 21, 2015 – Click here to listen