HELEN SANDERS
11-20-2020
THAT STILL SMALL VOICE
With all the turmoil going on with politics, the anger on the streets, the closed churches and Covid19 many people are trying to hear from God.
Many are tuned in to every prophetic word that has been put out. They want to hear what God is saying for this time and season we are in and want to hear from God for themselves. They go to meeting after meeting hoping to get a “word from God.” When it doesn’t happen, they leave dejected and often think that God doesn’t care about them.
This is a fact. God does care about you! He loves you and Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” God thinks about us! He thinks thoughts of peace and not evil towards us! He has a plan for us to give us the victory (that’s what happens in the end).
I have found that most of the time God doesn’t speak to me through loud preaching or prophetic words. He speaks to me softly, often when I wasn’t even thinking about the things of God. He speaks in a quiet, or still small voice. It comes like a whisper. We may not even realize it was Him, until later when we reflect on it.
In 1 Kings 19 we see a story of Elijah. Elijah ran from Jezebel because she threatened to kill him, and he went and hid himself in a cave and had a pity party. God came and asked Elijah what he was doing there. He goes on to tell God all that he had done for God, and he was the only true prophet left. God tells him to come out of the cave and stand on the mountain before him. The LORD then passed by and a strong wind came and broke off part of the mountain and it crashed around him, but the Lord was not in the wind. Then an earthquake happened, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. Following that, there was a fire, but the Lord wasn’t in the fire either. Then there was a still small voice speaking. Elijah heard it and wrapped his face in his mantle and God said again “what doest thou here, Elijah?” Again, Elijah defends all the works that he had done for God, tearing down altars, slaying the false prophets declaring truths, and said he was the only one left that did anything good for God. A true pity party, for sure! Then God spoke to him in that still small voice and let him know that there were seven thousand others in Israel that hadn’t denied God and served Baal.
When we are having times like Elijah, thinking that the world has gone crazy and we are the only ones left, it is not time to run and hide. It is time to listen for that still small voice and do what God says. He wants us to listen with our spiritual ears and be ready to hear what he has to say. Often, it is a small word of correction, and other times it is a word of encouragement. When Elijah went and hid it wasn’t because God told him to do that and certainly God didn’t tell him to have a pity party. Perhaps if he had listened to that still small voice that he knew so well and had heard on so many previous occasions, his life would have ended differently.
Because of his pity party and not listening it cost him his ministry. After hearing from God, he was told to return to Damascus to anoint Elisha to carry on where he left off, and that happened.
Do you listen to the still small voice that wants to lead you? Do you take time to just be quiet and hear what God has to say? It certainly is the best way to be led. The wind, earthquake and fire only get us off track. Yes, there will be those distractions. Yet, they won’t disturb us when we spend time in the quietness with God.
We must remember that He has a plan for good when we listen and find out what it is. He is jealous for the time to talk to you one on one. You don’t have to go through a Priest or Prophet to hear from God. He will speak to you if you listen. I am sure when you take the time to listen you will be greatly pleased with the plan He has for you.