It was incredibly delicate, yet I could hear it. A voice in a quiet tone was saying, “Send a note of encouragement,” followed by a specific person’s name.
The day was a blur and my brain was overloaded with deadlines and details, it was a miracle I even could even hear anything. Then, a couple of hours later the message was repeated, halting my thoughts mid-sentence.
I had not heard from or had thought about this person in several months, but I could not resist the pressure. I went through a set of notecards and came across one that had a suitable phrase, “The Lord brought you to my mind this morning.” I wrote down some affirmations and sent the card in the following morning on my regular visit into the Post Office.
What I can say is that I was aware that what I was hearing wasn’t my voice. Although some might be hesitant to believe it that I heard a voice, I knew in the deepest parts of my being that God spoke to me.
“God is always speaking to us however we can’t always hear him because of the noise, rush and distraction that our daily life creates as it hurries forward,” according to English poet Frederick Faber.
Pastor and author Adrian Rogers once said, “I have not heard God’s voice speaking to me. It was louder than the sound of.” A different author, pastor and preacher Bill Hybels, has published a book entitled, “The Power of a Whisper.”
He writes “I’ve discovered that hearing the whisper of God’s transcendent God is among the most amazing privileges of all aspects of life. It’s possibly the most transformative dynamic within our Christian religion.”
Hybels states that God could choose to speak with people whether they’re 18 or 80. He gives examples of people from the Bible such as a boy called Samuel who saw God asking his name throughout the night.
It is in 1 Kings 19:11 – 13 We learn about God speaking to a prophet called Elijah. “Then Elijah told him to go out, and sit on the mountain in front of the LORD. Then, behold that the LORD was passing by, and a huge and strong wind ripped into the mountains, breaking the rocks into pieces before the LORD but there was no LORD. LORD was not with the wind after that, there was an earthquake struck, however, the LORD did not participate in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, a fire, however there was no fire, and the LORD was not in the fire and then after it was over, the flame.” He then hears a whispering voice asking, “What is it that you’re doing here, Elijah?'”
Bill Hybels states, “Hearing God’s voice from God is different from receiving an SMS messages or a reading of an email. Humans can hinder.” Hybels believes that if we reduce the background sound in our lives and pay attention with awe and attentively, we will be able to hear God’s whispers exactly like He has spoken to other people over the course of thousands of years.
In his book “Whisper The Art of Hearing the voice of God,” Mark Batterson writes “God is often most loud when we’re quietest…Genuine listening is ultimately a sign that is a sign of surrender.” Do you be able to hear His quiet, tiny voice?
Jan White has compiled a collection of her columns in her book “Everyday faith for Daily Life.”
The article How to listen for the quiet, gentle whisper of God was first published at The Andalusia Star-News.
