Atmosphere: Waiting (Vol. 1) | An Instrumental DevotionalSample

Day 2: STILL, SMALL VOICE

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. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 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?” –1 Kings 19:11–13 (NIV)   

Hear, believe, and obey.

It seems so easy, but if we’re honest, we have to admit, we often get stuck at that first, simple step: hearing God.

It’s not that we don’t want to hear Him. We are already convinced His words have the power to bring the fullness of life, hope, healing, and the fulfillment of promises.    

But surrounded by a noisy torrent of distractions—how do we hear Him?  

“The Lord is about to pass by.” Elijah had heard the promise clearly. He was afraid, hidden in a cave in absolute despair. He desperately needed an encounter with God.  But it wasn’t the Holy Presence he expected that came next. Instead, it was the wind— a tempest that tore the mountains apart. Elijah knew it wasn’t the voice of God. So he waited.  

Then there came the earthquake. The very ground beneath his feet was shaken and turned to rubble. Elijah knew it wasn’t the voice of God. So he waited.  

The fire came next – ripping through the landscape. Elijah watched it burn, and he knew it wasn’t the voice of God. So he waited.

And then, with what seemed like destruction all around him, he heard it—the answer he had been longing for, his salvation by way of a gentle whisper.

Sometimes, we want Him to be in the wind, louder than the noise around us so we won’t miss it. But so many times, His is the quiet melody, like the one we hear in “Still, Small Voice” as the storm passes to the distance. So many times, it’s the whisper that calls us to be still, silence the noise around us, and wait for the voice we know is His.  

If you’re desperate to hear Him today, take a moment and examine what you’re listening to. The noise of the world may be the loudest thing in your ears, but that doesn’t make it true. Before you let it influence your perspective, ask yourself, “Is this the voice of God?” Wait for the voice you know is His, believe it, and obey it.  

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you?
God, help me be still with You long enough to hear the magnificent, life-giving whispers of Your gentle voice. Help me carve out space to meet with You. I don’t want to miss a single word, Father. Speak to me again. I’m here with an open heart, waiting, and ready to listen.

Music: Julian Collazos

Devotional: Diana Deitz