Does God speak to us? You might get differing answers to that question according to who you ask. I will not speculate on answers from other people ... just my experience and the experience recorded in 1 Kings 19.
1 Kings 18 and 19 are important moments in the history of God's people. They involve a clear demonstration of God's (Yahweh's) power and a clear demonstration of the power of worldly gods. They show a people who clearly see God show His power yet they are still torn between pleasing their earthly king and pleasing the one true God. We even see the Lord's prophet (Elijah) feeling the loneliness and solitude of serving God. We reflect on how we sometimes feel when we are faithful to God and are, therefore, shunned by those we interact with daily. Elijah ... after seeing miracles right before his eyes ... asks ... "Where is the Lord's voice here?"
In 1 Kings 19 Elijah is hiding in a cave and he goes out to see a whirlwind, an earthquake and a fire pass in front of the cave. The Lord's voice isn't in any of these apparent examples of theophany (a physical appearance of God) because God sent them but is not 'in' them. But then the Lord speaks in a whisper giving the depressed Elijah instruction, a replacement (Elisha) and assurance that God always has a remnant (a group of people who do not bow to the gods of this world). I have heard that whisper. It doesn't come at my command but at God's direction. It leads, guides, gives strength, points out my many weaknesses and gives hope when my energy is spent. Sometimes I would not hear it if I wasn't listening for it. I've never heard it in a whirlwind, an earthquake or a fire. I have heard it in a whisper, spoken through other people, voiced by the words of my children and shouted from the pages of Scripture. Yes ... God speaks! The question then becomes, are you listening?
No comments:
Post a Comment