WHY DOES IT SEEM SO HARD TO HEAR GOD?

WHY DOES IT SEEM SO HARD TO HEAR GOD?
And behold, the LORD was passing by! But the LORD was not in the wind. But
the LORD was not in the earthquake. But the LORD was not in the fire; and
after
the fire, the sound of a gentle blowing. 1 Kings 19:11-12
The great prophet, Elijah, was fleeing for his life. Wicked Queen Jezebel
had vowed to kill him. Elijah fled to the mountain of God called Mount Horeb
(another
name for Mount Sinai where Moses received the ten commandments) . Elijah was
so depressed and fearful that he prayed for death. He desperately needed God
to reveal Himself to him and speak to him. And God did, but in a strange
way.
God brought a great rushing wind that broke the rocks apart, but God was not
in that ear- piercing wind. Then God brought a mighty earthquake that
violently
shook the mountain, but He was not in that either. Then He brought a
blazing, roaring fire. But God was not in any of the BIG, NOISY displays of
power.
God was in the gentle blowing, in that still small voice.
HOW DOES GOD SPEAK?
Does God shout at His children? Does He speak in thunder clap tones that
shake us to the core? He surely can speak loudly like that if He desires,
but
the truth of the matter is He rarely chooses that method. God's primary way
to speak to us is in a soft-toned whisper. Why is that?
Think about it for a moment. If I speak to you in a whisper, you have got to
do two things in order to hear me:
1. GET QUIET - God speaks in a whisper so we would get quiet before Him. He
wants us to turn off all the outside noise and distracting sounds so that we
can give Him our focused and undivided attention. Young Samuel got quiet
before the Lord and prayed, "Speak LORD, for your servant is listening" (1
Samuel
3:9). Are YOU listening today?
2. GET CLOSE - God speaks in a whisper so we would draw near to Him. More
than anything, that is what God wants from us. He wants us to get close to
Him,
close to His heart. The Apostle John had such a close relationship with
Jesus that he literally laid his head on Jesus' heart at the last supper.
When
you and I are that close to Jesus, we can hear every whisper that falls from
His lips. How close are YOU to Jesus today?
THE CHALLENGE
Will you take time today to get quiet and get close? God wants to reveal
Himself to you. He wants to speak to your heart. He invites you into His
open
arms. The promise is clear, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you"
(James 4:8).
The ball is in your court. The King of the universe, the God in whom nothing
is impossible, stands ready to lovingly guide, counsel and empower you. What
is your answer to Him?
Love,
sig
Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheartorg
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171
Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas.
He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed
with
three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and
television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely
listener/viewer
supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of
people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts
go to
further the broadcast.