Everyday Miracles: 20 Day Journey With Elijah And Elishaنموونە

Shh, listen. God is whispering because He loves you and has a great plan for you.

When God wanted to speak deeply to the aimless, cave-dwelling prophet, He reached Elijah with a whisper. 

A whisper is powerful. 

The whisper is the voice of comfort. When a mother wants to calm her crying baby, she does so with a gentle, soft voice. A shout agitates and frightens; a whisper calms and comforts. 

The whisper is the voice of closeness. If I’m trying to get my wife’s attention in a busy crowd, I may need to shout. If we are in a bustling restaurant, I may need to raise my voice above the hum of the other patrons. If I’m at home, just the two of us at dinner recapping our day, I speak quietly. But, at night, on our pillows, I whisper. The closer you are to someone, the softer you speak. When God whispers, it means He’s near. 

The whisper is the voice of intimacy. We whisper secrets. God has trumpeted the Good News everywhere, but He also whispers to you. 

A toddler is not impressed that his father is the Super Bowl quarterback or the president of the bank. What matters to the child is the presence of his father – the feel of his scruffy face and the strength of his arms. A little child isn’t interested in what his father does in the distance; it’s what’s up close that matters. Giggling. Wrestling. Sitting in his lap to read a bedtime book. 

God wants to be close to you and wants you to be close to Him. So, sometimes, He whispers. 

A tornado tore through the mountainside, but God wasn’t in the wind. Then, an earthquake shook the hills of Horeb, but God wasn’t in the tremors. Next, a wildfire ravaged the brush and trees of the cliffs, but God wasn’t in the flames. But, when God whispered, Elijah stepped out of the cave and into the presence of God. When God whispers, it is glorious. And that’s the Gospel!

Questions for Reflection:

1) Have you ever felt like you’ve heard God’s whisper? Write about a time in which God led you by some quiet, unassuming means. 

2) Do you find it hard to grow quiet enough to hear God’s whisper? What are some of the distractions that tend to keep you from noticing God’s still, small voice? 

3) What would greater closeness with God look like for you in this season of life? Journal prayerfully about the ways you desire to be closer to God. 

Prayer for the Day: 

Lord, tune my spiritual ears to hear your soft voice. You know how prone we are to be fascinated by the big, the urgent and the loud. But, today, Lord, I ask for discernment to see you in the small, quiet things. I want to hear your gentle whisper. I want my heart to know your closeness. I want to draw near to your throne of grace and see your smile up close. Let me not be distracted by the endless noise of the world around me but draw me close to you and teach my heart your ways. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.