“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.
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out
and stood at the entrance of the cave.
And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
I Kings 19:11-13 NLT
That Gentle Whisper
I have a dear friend whose son was born deaf. He couldn’t hear his mama read storybooks to him. He couldn’t hear her sing over him as he fell asleep. He couldn’t hear her warn him when he approached something dangerous.
Shortly after his first birthday, he had surgery to receive cochlear implants. A few weeks after the surgery my friend and her husband drove their son to the audiologist. It was Activation Day, the day they would turn on their son’s new ears.
In the video of those first few moments, you can see his little face look up in wonder the first time he hears the machine beeping. When the audiologist claps her hands, he touches the devices next to his ears. He’s making the connection. Then his father leans in and speaks to him.
For the first time he hears his father’s voice.
The boy turns his head and looks at his father, a smile lighting his sweet face.
Most of us can’t recall the first moment we heard our parents’ voices. We were only babies. But I can distinctly recall the first time I heard my Father’s voice.
It wasn’t an audible voice, but it was as real as the air I breathed.
God’s Word lay open before me. As I read the Bible, the words seemed to come alive on the page. It was July 31, 1990. My Activation Day. From that day forward, I chose my Father’s voice to be my trusted guide — my soul’s compass.
Throughout history men and women have experienced their own spiritual Activation Day — the day they first heard God speak to them.
Sometimes God speaks to us through our circumstances.
Sometimes He speaks to us through other people.
Most of the time, however, God speaks to us through His Word.
We don’t have to be graduate students in seminary to be serious students of the Bible either. God’s Word is just as much for the mom serving pizza to her kids in a living room as it is for the pastor serving on staff at a church. The Holy Spirit enables every believer, wherever we are, to understand the uncompromised truth and uncontested beauty of Scripture.
When we hear God’s voice — that gentle whisper — through the pages of His Word, we find our true home in Him.
And the brokenness we experience in the deep waters of life is redeemed for a purpose greater than we can imagine.
When you spend time in the Word, do you hear your Father’s voice?
*excerpt from Deeper Waters
Leave a Comment
Michele Morin says
Denise, this is a breath-taking portrayal of what it’s like when our ears come alive to the voice of God!
And may we stay alive and awake to His voice over all the others that compete for our attention.
Elizabeth says
Right on, Michele!
Denise J. Hughes says
Thank you so much, Michele, for your kinds words. xoxo
nj says
May the Lord bless you Denise, for such a wonderful, poignant, precious testimony and example of His love and working. It brought tears to my eyes. Praise Him! Thank you, Denise!
Denise J. Hughes says
May the Lord bless you, NJ!
Kendra burton says
Such a lovely nudge for me to reminiscence this early morning of times I’ve heard the Lord’s voice sweet and clear. Thank you!
Denise J. Hughes says
So wonderful, Kendra! =)
Beth Williams says
Denise,
This world is noisy with clamors here and there for our attention. We need to tune out the world & sit quietly to hear God’s whispers of love to us. I was born partially deaf. Both eardrums had holes in them. We didn’t know until I was about 4. Surgery corrected the right ear, but not the left. I could hear some. Years later I got a hearing aid for the left ear. I heard the wind for the first time & was amazed. Let us train ourselves to sit & listen for His wonderful voice.
Blessings 🙂
Denise J. Hughes says
Beth, thank you so much for sharing part of your story here. Hearing the wind for the first time! That is beautiful. Thank you for reminding me to pause and listen for the wind.
Grateful,
Denise
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Beth,
I can’t imagine not hearing anything and then, all of a sudden, being able to hear your father’s voice….what an astounding and touching moment. Me, on the other hand…I think, no I KNOW, my Father was speaking to me and I was too tuned in to other things to listen. I believe He is always speaking to us, whispering to us and we choose to turn a deaf ear or we get too busy to slow down and listen. I know God has always been speaking to me, but when I invited Jesus into my heart, that’s when I chose to really listen. God speaks to me through His creation, through the hugs of family and friend, through a kind word, but if I’m not in HIS Word on a regular basis, I am missing SO much of what He wants to say to me. He always beckons me to come listen to Him. I’ve found every excuse in the book, but being in the Word regularly, I’ve found, leaves me yearning to hear more of His voice….to hear Him whisper His love to me. What an awesome sound that is! Thank you for this poignant and touching post.
Sunday blessings,
Bev xx
Denise J. Hughes says
“He always beckons me to come listen to Him.” << I love this, Bev! So very true! Thank you!
Nancy says
Denise, It was a blessing to read your message today! My ears work overtime to take in God’s word for all the years I did not hear. My standard poodle also writes a blog, but lately, I feel I should start blogging about my journey in life after my husband’s serious stroke. Your writing is yet another nudge to write the truth instead of the chuckles that my dog brings people. His blog is: http://www.lightheartedlouieblog.com Thanks, Denise!
Denise J. Hughes says
That’s wonderful, Nancy! xoxo
TB says
I have felt God was speaking to me several times. I have even felt Jesus hug me in a very desperate moment. But none compares to the time I heard God speak through the word in the form of a Facebook video. I was sitting with the door closed, worried my children would see the tears pouring down my cheeks. All I could think was “ it’s hopeless”. I tried desperately not to sob. I looked at my phone and thought maybe I could distract myself and I opened Facebook. My favorite Christian producer had posted a new video. My breath caught and the tears came harder as I read the title, “The Hopeless Situation”. I could feel God with me, holding me, as I listened to the story of the walls of Jericho. God is there, God is everywhere, you just need to be open to hearing his voice and feeling his love.
Denise J. Hughes says
Thank you, TB, for sharing. Indeed, God is with us everywhere we go. xoxo
PJ says
What a beautiful message we awakened to this morning! I have a friend who was reading God’s Word late one night in bed. And God began to speak to her through scripture. She said it was as though the lights came on and the words were as clear and bright and she could not help but exclaim loudly and joyfully in the quiet and stillness of the night. It was her “ah ha” moment. “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
I love that my rectors messages are available online. Several times, I have missed such poignant moments because of human distraction, only to listen the next day in the stillness of my home and allow God to speak to me.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful message this morning!
Denise J. Hughes says
“She said it was as though the lights came on and the words were as clear and bright and she could not help but exclaim loudly and joyfully in the quiet and stillness of the night.”
^^ Yes! This! I love this so much! Thank you for sharing here in this space. So grateful. xo
Janet says
Beautiful!❤️
Denise J. Hughes says
Thank you, Janet! =)
Henna says
Its always very pleasing to read your blog. I feel like god is with me and watching progress. Another beautifully drafted article.
Denise J. Hughes says
Thank is so kind of you today, Henna. Thank you! =)
Rebecca Jones says
Absolutely, mostly through His Word and people but you can learn the discernment of the Holy Spirit’s voice from your own the more you grow in grace. He works in dreams and visions and imagery, the Lord has many beautiful ways of communicating His love, just be careful of the counterfeits of the enemy.
Denise J. Hughes says
Thank you so much for sharing, Rebecca! =)
Renee Swope says
I love this so much Denise. Such a vivid picture of a child hearing and being drawn to His father’s voice. Your words drew me back to a precious memory, me sitting on the floor in a small room just outside the chapel on my college campus. Tears streaming down my face from that ache in my heart, reading through Isaiah 43, when my heart heard God telling me He loved me for the very first time. “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you….” Isaiah 43:4
I’d never read those words before, and I almost couldn’t believe they were there for me. It changed everything. Thank you for taking me back there today.
Denise J. Hughes says
Renee, I love that…that God spoke to you through Isaiah 43. What a tender moment with the Father.
So grateful for you, friend.
xo
Denise