ARE YOU REALLY LISTENING?

God doesn’t like to shout. Don’t get me wrong. He will get our attention if we aren’t listening. But we can often find God gently whispering in the quietness of our surrendered heart. If we are listening.

Elijah felt defeated and ready to give up. But from the cave on Mount Sinai he witnessed a mighty windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. But the Lord wasn’t in these loud and powerful events.

“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 ‭19:12-13‬)

God’s voice was in the whisper. What do we do when someone is whispering to us? We lean in, we get closer because we don’t want to miss what is being said. So how do we lean in and get closer to God so we can hear His voice?

We spend time with God by reading His word and making time for prayer. The Bible is God’s living word and He will speak to you through His Word.

Get the noise of the world out of your head. Turn off the radio. Turn off the TV. Turn off the podcasts. Get off social media.  And just sit in silence.

If you keep looking to hear God in big places such as church on Sunday, Bible study groups, or at conferences you may miss the whisper.

I recently had a conversation with someone who was praying and waiting for God to speak on the direction she should take with her career. Instead of taking her daily walk listening to podcasts or music she turned off the noise. She spent days during her walking time, in the quiet, praying and talking to God. And like the whisper Elijah heard she too found her answer in the quiet surround.

“Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left. (Isaiah 30:21)

Get quiet with God. Listen for the whisper. And allow Him to guide your path.

Happy Friday from Rooted

Heather & Lisa