Through all of my journey through the arenas of life I, like most people, expected God’s voice to be the loudest voice in the arena. But this expectation turn to intense frustration as I became more desperate to actually hear the authentic voice of God ~ especially when I knew only God could deliver the information that I needed. It is this observation that has brought me to this simple revelation: His voice speaking in my heart is acutely like that of the gentle heir with the classiest butler or concierge, who speaks with the voice of a servant.
The dilemma of the human experience in responding to the voice of God is so aptly described by the story of Elijah: “And He said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”
This example in Elijah’s life has been referred to by ministers when describing the shock and awe of God, who is the ruler over the entire universe ~ but chooses to be observed as using a still small voice. In this description you see the revelation of how someone so great and mighty can do something so still, quiet, and unobtrusive.
But today this revelation has come to new level of understanding. The premise of this view is found in Jesus’s words, when He said, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Suddenly it hit me that Jesus was showing us by gentle hint or design, how to actually recognize the voice of God Himself. What I mean by this, is that each day I’m amazed at how quiet, gentle, and non-obtrusive the voice of God is in my heart. When His voice does speak in my heart, it is with such a whisper that I have to strain to hear it, and rehearse it many times ~ repeating it to even clarify it’s existence.
I realized I had heard the same kind of gentle nudging that comes from a servant who is trying to help you and direct you to do the right thing ~ but also not embarrass you if you choose to do the opposite of what they suggested. Queen Elizabeth was sitting at her beautiful table in Buckingham Palace, when a gentleman from another country, who was not familiar with British ways, reached with his hands and began to eat his food with his fingers.
Queen Elizabeth solved the problem ~ which caused the entire room full of sophisticated guests to collectively gasp. She simply reached down with her royal fingers and began to eat her food like her honored guest! Suddenly the entire group followed suit so there was no embarrassment. This was the act of a true Christ-like leader. And this is how God Himself actually is ~ if we can learn to know His voice. God’s patience and willingness to serve us is beyond our comprehension. But His voice is so quiet because He’s waiting to see if we show even the slightest amount of self will to disobey what He said.
If you are praying with me on the Periscope application, then I’m sure you have seen signs of His gentle quiet voice. Today, while we were in the middle of praying, a rainbow appeared in the sky. It was a gentle nudge that His promise to us would be fulfilled. If you remember, the subject of our prayer at that time was you receiving your dream house ~ and having no mortgage. Just think of how great the Lord is, yet He chooses to speak to us in our hearts as the voice of a servant! (Obviously one doesn’t have to listen to that Servant’s voice in their heart, and that’s why so many have gone astray.) But as Bach so aptly put it, Jesus is the joy of my desiring!
A Place To Meet Jesus 