Do you ever wish that you could hear more clearly from God? I certainly do. There have been times in my life when I would have given anything to know what God wanted me to do. I believe that God still speaks to us. In fact, the question is not whether God still speaks but if we can hear Him when He does. Jesus calls us friends and sons and daughters. Friends talk to friends and parents with their children. It is a game changer in our lives when we are able to learn to hear His voice. 

In John 10:3-5 Jesus says, “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all of his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”

What is the secret to hearing His voice? An account from the life of Elijah may give us a clue. He had just tussled with Ahab and Jezebel, the evil king and his wife, and was running for his life as Jezebel had vowed to kill him. He arrived in a cave after traveling 40 days and nights - discouraged and ready to hang up his calling as a prophet. If Elijah ever needed a word from God, it was now.

God came to him in his discouragement, 1 Kings 19:11-13: “The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” And in that gentle whisper, God spoke words of grace and healing to Elijah and gave him direction for what he should do.

What does it take to hear a gentle whisper? Quietness! Times when we can sit in the presence of Jesus with attentive hearts and minds. Perhaps the reason we don’t hear God more often or more clearly is because we are so busy and distracted that His whisper is not heard. God will not compete for our attention. But He longs for it because He loves to be with us. He died for us. He adopted us. He blessed us. He gives us His goodness every day, but too often we are oblivious to His gentle whisper because we are not paying close attention.

If you find this to be true in your life, reconsider that daily time that we often call “Quiet Time.” Quiet time is Jesus time. Us and Him. Worshipping, talking to Him, reading His word, meditating on His truth and talking to Him. And with hearts wide open, listening to Him. He is there. The question is whether we can hear Him.

Father, I want to hear You more often and more clearly. Thank You for loving me and talking to me. Help me to hear Your gentle whisper in my life and remind me often that I need to take time to be quiet with You. Teach me to hear Your voice. Amen.