“and he said, ‘Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD.’ And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake 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 a still small voice.” (I Kings 19:11,12 KJV)
The story of Elijah is familiar to many of you. He had been on the mount with Jezebel’s pagan priests, then Jezebel promised to kill him, he fled to the wilderness and was feeling very depressed. Then God spoke to him. You can read the story in 1 Kings 19 In life we all have choices – Do we listen to the LOUD voices of the world or to the still, small voice of God?
This question occurred to me recently when a disembodied voice spoke to me – seemingly out of nowhere. It was early morning and my furry roommates and I were busy doing our morning routine. Me opening the blinds and they following me around – hoping I would hurry and give them their breakfast. Suddenly a voice spoke to me. The cats freaked and goose bumps broke out on me. What can that be? “The house is locked up tight, there can’t be anyone inside”. These thoughts raced through my mind and then the voice spoke again!!! For one thing I couldn’t understand what the voice was saying and then who or what would be talking to me?
Then it dawned on me – THE SMOKE ALARM!!!!!!!!! It was telling me that it needed a new battery. “Low battery” “Low battery” and again “Low battery”. Well, at least I knew where the voice was coming from and the cats weren’t freaking but …… That voice continued to warn me about that battery every few moments until a few hours later when my daughter arrived with a new one; which she immediately installed. Ah-h-h-h! Blessed quietness!
Then I started thinking about another voice – that “still, small voice” of God speaking to me, sometimes reminding me that my words or deeds are not according to His will. Do I react to THAT voice with goose bumps? Do I frantically call on humans to come and replace the ‘battery’ in my conscious?
Sadly we humans sometimes are not so quick to respond to that voice. God doesn’t MAKE us do the right things. He doesn’t keep nagging at us. But like my smoke detector, we MUST listen to God’s voice and respond to the Holy Spirit. When we listen to God’s voice and love and follow Him we will receive that ‘Blessed quietness’, that peace and that joy that comes from waking with God.
Friends, which voice to YOU listen too? Yes, it is important to listen to some of the world’s voices, the voice of the law, the voice of the smoke detector, the bells and alarms in our cars – but most important is that ‘still small voice’ that warns us of things pertaining to eternal life.
Wynona Gordon