Still Small Voice

"And behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after that 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."
1 Kings 19:11b&12 NKJV

Christians always want to hear God. It is a vital part of our lives. We expect to see and hear things that will assure us that God is with us. We want to know that he is directing us in all we do. So we look for his power, his might, his strength. After all, the God who created the universe with just a word, ought to have a pretty powerful voice. It must shake us, it must really rock our world. But the voice of God is not always a blaring trumpet, sometimes it is so gentle and quiet that we must strain to hear it.
    Elijah was prepared to see God.He had been told that God was about to pass by his cave. Keep in mind that Elijah had just fled from Jezebel who was about to take his life. He had told God to go ahead and kill him, for his life was ruined anyway. Eventually, he hid himself in a cave, believing that there were no people of God left on the earth. It was in this desperate moment that God showed up...But not in the way Elijah expected. Elijah must have thought: Surely the Lord is in the powerful wind. Surely he is in the earthquake. He must be in the fire. But in the end, God was not in any of those things, he presented himself to Elijah with a still small voice, barely a whisper.
    I think God talks to us, often times, in whispers. We hear God speaking to us all the time, but many times we fail to listen. We miss what he has said, simply because we haven't paid attention. We have so many thoughts, so many feelings, that we cannot discern between the still small voice of the Holy Spirit and our own rambling thoughts. But we can hear God. We just have to pay attention. The more we pay attention, the more we will clearly hear him.
    I have learned to pay attention. If I find my mind focusing on one particular thing, I ask God what that means. You see, I have stopped worrying. I don't ask myself if the voice was me or God. I assume it is God. I live in him. So I must assume that the things that capture my attention are birthed in him, not in me. What a refreshing change of mind this is. Instead of always questioning whether God is speaking, I simply trust that he is. If I am wrong, the same Holy Spirit who lives in me can correct my path.
    I encourage you to change your mind and be renewed in your thinking. Instead of struggling to decipher the voice of God, simply trust that what you hear in your mind is from him. If you are seeking him, expect a response. He tells us in his Word that if we seek him, we will find him. His Word is true, therefore we can expect him to answer us when we seek. So stop doubting and start believing. Stop questioning and start trusting. You will be amazed by the things you will hear. You will be amazed at the voice of God. But listen carefully, it may be a still small voice.