1 Kings 19.9b-13
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Have you ever had someone tell you how God has spoken to them? We want it to be like we saw in the old Biblical epic movies. The thundering voice on the mountain speaking to Moses and the people around the mountain not understanding, but fearful of the volume. Or the clear voice Jesus hears, “This is my Son, whom I love. With him I am well-pleased.” We want to have this clarity of knowing that God has spoken a clear and forceful word to us.
God speaks to us. I have found that those loud voices are rare. Some never seem to have anything like that. But I have heard clarity. And I know that others have heard clarity in this same way as Elijah. Not the noises that take our attention. The small, quiet voice that invites. Sometimes clear words. Other times an emotion or a picture. Then it may come in the words of a text of scripture or a song in our heads. But God speaks. He calls us and invites us to follow and to be his people. He calls us a people who are loved and have been given his name.
Take time in the quiet you can find in your day and listen to the voice of God. Pray a few sentences and then sit and listen for God to speak and give the words you need today. Hear the quiet voice of God over the noise and interruptions of the day.
Song – You Say
Prayer
Lord God, quiet all voices around us but your own. Allow us to hear your call to us. Your call that tells us who we are, how we follow. We rest in your love and grace. Speak to us O Lord. Amen