The Sound of A Gentle Whisper

5/17/2023

Written By: Frieda Dowler

I recently attended our grandkids’ softball games. In all three cases, their teams had multiple coaches. In all three cases, the coaches were each giving instructions to the kids, sometimes simultaneously. Plus, the parents of the kids were yelling instructions from the sideline. Who’s a kid to listen to?

I recently did an internet search on a subject and found more information than I could ever read or comprehend. Some of the information did not agree on the subject or took it in a direction of the advertisers. So I looked up the people’s ideas, Wikipedia. In the end, I gave up my search because there was no clear answer!

I’ve attended many writers’ conferences and subscribed to several newsletters on what it takes to write a bestseller. Each present a different approach. Various voices were willing to take my money in exchange for a promise. And guess what? Still no bestseller.

My point is, whose voice are we listening to? There are many opinions speaking at the same time. It’s confusing, frustrating, and overwhelming.

The Bible tells us at the end of times, knowledge will increase upon the earth. And knowledge now has a platform that spans the world. The internet. And the goal is to attract as many followers or subscribers to a platform as possible. In doing so, they believe their voice is the most important, and we should listen to what they say. Often we give into those loud voices and become followers of a person’s opinion in order to find our way.

It’s no wonder there is so much dissention. Whose voice are we listening to? Usually it is the loudest, most prominent, or convincing voice. But when it comes to our spiritual life, God does not want us to be confused.

The Bible has been around for a long time. It is considered the authoritative work on a Holy Spirit led life, inspired by God, with Jesus as the central theme. It is the most read, most quoted, most influential literary work of all time. And it is by far the bestselling book of all time.

It was written by forty-some individuals over a span of 1,500–1,600 years who heard directly from one voice - God’s. It conveys a comprehensive theme that is in harmony with a prophetic message from cover to cover. For the Bible to be written in this way is truly a miracle. And for it to have been passed from generation to generation speaks of God’s persistent guidance for humankind throughout the ages.

We should not be confused when it comes to our spiritual life. God’s voice and direction, spoken through the Bible, is the source we should subscribe to. Whether you read it in a book or digital form, we should make the Bible the authority for our spiritual lives.

When it comes to our spiritual life, hearing stories and guidance from other individuals may be encouraging, but it shouldn’t substitute for reading our Bibles.

Something miraculous happens when we read the Bible. We hear from God in our spirit. It gives guidance that no other voice can give. Other voices are limited because they are based on personal experiences, but God’s are limitless. As our creator, he is our troubleshooter and able to solve or anticipate problems or difficulties. When we are reading the Bible in solitude, we are communicating with God. Our spirits come into a place of vulnerability. Something happens in our hearts, and we know we are hearing from God.

Should we listen to the loudest, most prominent, or most convincing voice when it comes to our spiritual lives? Elijah of the Bible chooses not to. The loudest, most prominent, and most convincing was Queen Jezebel’s. She gave orders to kill him. He was afraid, fled to save his life, and hid in a cave. If ever he needed a troubleshooter, it was now. He wasn’t ready to subscribe to her voice. Alone, he cried out to God, and this is how God answered.

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19: 11-12 KJV

God spoke in a whisper. His voice was not the loudest, most prominent, or most convincing. But Elijah welcomed the whisper, and it saved his life.

With all the information and knowledge we have access to, it can lead to confusion. But our God is personal and knows what we need individually for any situation we face. When we get alone with him, we can hear his whisper in our hearts.