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The Power of a Whisper

Messy truth: It’s in the hardest moments of quiet where we so often find our greatest glimpses of God.

Have you ever noticed that when a baby is crying loudly, lowering your voice to a whisper is far more likely to soothe her than raising your voice to drown her out? It’s in the quiet where she senses our calmness and presence.

That’s essentially what happened with Elijah when God taught him the power of a whisper, and I’ve seen Him do it repeatedly in my life as well.

Once, the prophet Elijah got some bad news that someone wanted to kill him, and he went running as fast and far as he could from his country, his people, and his God. The Lord graciously pursued Elijah, feeding him and giving him some rest. But what Elijah needed more than physical and emotional provision was a spiritual reminder of his creator’s presence and power—and that’s exactly what he got.

God told him to go stand in the mouth of a cave on a mountain so He could pass by.

Elijah did as he was told. He stood there expecting God to show up in the wind, or perhaps in the earthquake, or maybe even in the fire. But God came to Elijah in a different way: “After the fire came a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12).

Sometimes when God gets quiet, it’s our cue to follow suit. Similar to a small child crying, our Father’s hushed voice causes us to lean in and listen. He’s not one to compete with the noise and distraction with which we surround ourselves. It’s hard to hear a gentle whisper over the roar of rushed calendars, habitual scrolling, and mindless streaming.

God’s word to Elijah is His same word for us: Get to a quiet place and listen for Me in the gentle whisper.

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7).

This plan is presented to you by Life Is Messy, God Is Good by Cynthia Yanof. To learn more about this book, please click here.