A few weeks ago, I placed a mobile order on an app and ran to Target to pick it up. It wasn’t late but it was dark. The time change had just taken place and I’m honestly not even sure if all the streetlights were working properly because what happened next was wild. 

On my way home, I got stuck at a stop light, so I quickly grabbed my phone and sent a text to a girl who used to be in my youth group just to let her know that I had been thinking about her and I was praying for her. And to be honest, I had just kinda been arguing with God about not sending that text because I hate to be overbearing or come off as trying “too hard” to still be involved if it’s not wanted or welcomed… So, I was a little distracted sitting at the light but, I couldn’t shake the feeling, so I sent the text.

The light remained red for, what seemed like forever afterward. So, I picked up my phone again and checked my email, and saw I had an email from my student advisor at the school where I’m taking classes online. When the light turned green, I took off. But I had this thought, “I’ll just skim this email quickly before I really pick up speed down the road.” 

As I made the turn from the light that I had been sitting at, I reached for my phone and the Holy Spirit spoke to me as clear as day and said: “Don’t pick up your phone.” And then, a little louder, “Don’t pick up your phone.”

As I drove, I opened my eyes a little wider because it was pitch black out, and based on the warning from the Holy Spirit, I felt like there was something ahead that I needed to be extra alert for. 

I’m really bad with measuring distance but I know that I hadn’t driven very far down the dark road when I got right up on an individual riding their bike in my lane without any sort of reflectors or lights on his bike. Without being able to change lanes because of traffic, I quickly slowed down and scooted to the furthest possible position left of this guy on his bike. 

This guy came out of nowhere and my eyes were glued to the road ahead of me! Had I not listened to the Holy Spirit that night, I can only fear what the outcome may have been for both that guy and his family, and me and mine. 

It shook me to my core because, in one instant, everything could have changed for a lot of people including myself. I was (and am) so humbled to know that God wanted me to hear Him. 

Before you send me your hate mail, I don’t make a habit of texting and driving or checking email in the car. This is me being vulnerable. 

But the point still stands that I was going to use my phone for a brief moment that night when the Holy Spirit softly whispered in my ear. 

I can’t help but be reminded of a passage in the Old Testament:

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 NLT

This is a remarkable story in the Bible! 

Three instances of loud, clanging noises, and big chaotic events take place right in front of Elijah. Now, I don’t know how long you’ve been following Jesus or what your relationship with Jesus looks like. I don’t know how easy it is for you to hear His voice or how challenging it might be to pick out the words of God among the chaos in your life.

But, can I just encourage you today because God wants to speak to you, and even more than that, He wants you to hear Him. 

So, let me speak from my personal experience for a minute. I have grown up in church. I knew all the bible stories from a young age and was taught Godly principles early in my teenage years. But, sometimes, I still struggle to hear the voice of God, or at least decide if God is speaking to me or if I’m making something up.

Most of the time, what it all comes down to for me, is a fear of missing it and looking foolish. There are a few instances that I know beyond any doubt that God has spoken, led me, called me, or chosen me. But most of the time, I’m asking God to repeat Himself for clarification. I know, it’s silly. But I just can’t bear the thought of making something up and actually claiming that God spoke it to me. 

So often, I freeze when God speaks. And not like in a good freeze, like “be still and know,” freeze. But like, a “was that You, God?” freeze.

I can so relate to Elijah in this story, facing catastrophe and chaos and waiting for a big “aha moment” from God, only to have to come closer, to lean in a bit further, to tilt my head a little bit closer to Heaven… Leaning in hoping for a loud, clanging, obvious word from God, only to have to stand still among the chaos and listen very closely to hear the Word of God coming forth in a whisper.

God can speak at any level. But, in this story with Elijah, He chooses to make His voice known in a small, quiet, whisper. And I think there’s a reason for it: I think God wants us to draw near to Him. He wants intimacy with His people. So, while He can speak loud—most of the time, His voice is a quiet whisper.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

James 4:8 ESV

When we lean in close to God, God will always lean in close to us. 

Make no mistake, God will always be attentive to us whether we’re attentive to the Holy Spirit, but God’s heart is closeness with creation.

If you too, like me, struggle sometimes to discern the voice of God, or hear it altogether, I want to show you something that might help, and it’s found in this passage we already read:

Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him.

1 Kings 19:11 NLT

You can’t always live how you want, do what you want, with who you want, and expect to hear the voice of God in a plain and easy way. It doesn’t work like that most of the time. And, that’s not to say that God won’t speak loudly to get your attention in the middle of chaos… 

But, if you want to hear the voice of God, I want to point you back to this verse we just looked at. 

The first thing we should do is position ourselves to hear from God. 

The Lord told Elijah to GO and STAND STILL, ON the mountain. Three distinct directives in a short verse. 

Go, stand still, on the mountain.

We have to be willing to cut the noise out of our life if we want to hear the voice of God. 

There is so much happening in your world, so much going on around you and God wants to speak to you. But, you have to be willing to get away from the chaos, put down your phone, shut off the music, take a break from Netflix and go and wait on God in a secret place so that you can start leaning into the voice of God. 

And, listen, you should know that the voice of God often comes before AND after catastrophe if we’re willing to listen. There are some things that will always be out of our control, but nothing catches the Lord by surprise. 

I want to make something clear before we move on: I don’t believe that every time we experience tragedy or catastrophe that it’s because we haven’t listened close enough for the Holy Spirit’s warning. I do, however, believe that the Holy Spirit does speak and sends out warnings ahead of us at times, and that requires us to be sensitive enough to hear His voice. 

The Lord told Elijah where to go to meet with Him before the windstorm, before the earthquake, and before the fire BUT as Elijah waited patiently on the Lord to show up, the Lord spoke again. But, this time, it was in a still, small, quiet voice. It was in a whisper that Elijah had been primed to hear. 

Do you know that the Lord is whispering often and many times, we’re just too busy to hear Him.

Until you can easily point out the voice of God, you will constantly be fighting to cut the noise out around you so that you can learn the voice of God. But the first step is silencing the chaos in your ears, before your eyes, and in your mind so that when the still, small voice of God begins to speak, you’ll be positioned to hear Him. 

So today, I want you to know that I’m praying for you as you begin to position yourself to hear, discern and trust the voice of God in your life. God wants to talk to you, and He wants you to hear Him and respond to Him and so I’m praying that you will begin to have some Elijah mountaintop experiences over the next few weeks. Before catastrophe hits your life, or those around you, and after bad days, that you’ll be able to still lean in and hear the small, quiet whispers of the Lord. 

There’s hope for you today.