“ 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

It was early morning and I was sipping my coffee on my front porch. I closed my eyes and listened to the peaceful sound of the wind rustling through the trees when I heard deep in my spirit,
“I AM here.”
I smiled because I recognized that ‘gentle whisper’—The Lord. Of course, it wasn’t audible, but it surely wasn’t my own. I know my own voice and it says things like, “Hurry up, you have things to do.” Or, “That was stupid.” Another reason that I recognized the voice to be that of God, is because I have spent time getting to know Him over the years.
Daily I sit on my porch or in a secluded place early in the morning with the objective of quieting myself and being alone with God. I also read scripture, write in my journal, meditate and pray. Doing this has caused me to become more aware of His Spirit and how He communicates. So other than a gentle whisper, how does God communicate with us?

God most often communicates through His word, the Bible.

Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.”
Even though God’s word is indeed living and active, it won’t be for us personally if we don’t read it. And not just read it, but meditate on it and apply it to our lives.
Basically, if we don’t read the Bible, then we won’t benefit from its power. That’s how it works.
When Christians neglect reading their Bibles they become what I refer to as “spiritually anemic.”
anemia: lacking power, vigor, vitality, or colorfulness; listless; weak.
Recently I watched a nature show where thousands of baby penguins were squawking for their mothers who had gone to get food for them. I was amazed at how each mother knew the voice of her baby amongst the crowd of clamoring chicks.
Many voices clamor and compete for our attention daily. If we neglect time in God’s word, the other voices become louder than God’s, distorting it and making it difficult to recognize.
I want to recognize when God is speaking to me. How about you?
Have you heard God’s voice lately?

…”My sheep recognize my voice. I know them and they follow me.” ~Jesus Christ (John 10:28 Msg)
Join me next week for Part 2 of Hearing the Voice of God.