He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." and behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after that earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:11, 12
This is a day of much talking. Talk radio, around-the-clock television news, blogs, tweets, and social network ramblings dominate the lives of many. They are filled with constant chatter. All too frequently these talkers have nothing to say …at least nothing profitable to the child of God. There are too many voices today that howl like strong winds, disrupt like earthquakes, and spread like wildfire. These are the voices of criticism, division, and destruction. they never minister grace; they are content to survive on slander, gossip, and misinformation. It should be remembered that when the Lord revealed Himself to Elijah, He was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. We shouldn't expect to find Him in those places today!
Christians must learn to overlook those noisy, negative, nagging voices and to hear the voice of God - because He does indeed speak, and we need to hear Him. It is time to be silent before Him and listen for His still, small voice. James wrote in his epistle that God's children should be slow to speak and swift to hear (James 1:19). That's some good advice for the twenty-first century! Resist the urge to be talking all the time. A sign in a stationary shop advertised a cheap ink pen with these words: "Runs freely when almost empty." Therein lies the problem today. Too many people are letting their words run freely when they are almost spiritually empty.
Develop the art of listening, especially to the voice of God. He rarely shouts. In words of gentleness and kindness, He speaks to our hearts. Are you listening?
Heavenly Father, thank You for being a God who speaks to Your children. I pray that You will speak to my heart today. Give me the ability to distinguish Your voice from others of lesser importance. May I be like Samuel who said, "Speak, for Your servant hears" (1 Samuel 3:10). Grant that I would not only hear Your voice but heed it as well. Today I promise to listen for Your still, small voice. Amen.