A Still Small Voice

There is only one place in Scripture where God is said to speak in a “still small voice” and it was to Elijah after his dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal. (See 1 Kings 18:20-40; 19:12)  Told that Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, king of Israel, was seeking to kill him Elijah ran into the wilderness and collapsed in exhaustion.

Elijah voices his complaint that all of God’s prophets had been killed by Jezebel and he alone had survived.  God instructed him to stand on the mountain in His presence.  Then the Lord sent a mighty wind which broke the rocks in pieces; then He sent an earthquake and a fire, but His voice was in none of them.  After all that, the Lord spoke to Elijah in a “still small voice” or “gentle whisper.” 

What is going on here?  Admittedly, it is a bit difficult to understand.  Elijah had just won a tremendous victory over the prophets of Baal, but was now wallowing in self-pity in a cave.  Why would Elijah expect God to reveal Himself in a terrific wind or in an earthquake or in a fire?  What do we make of the “still small voice” in which the prophet finally hears God?  This occasion was a turning point in the history of God’s people. Here, God acted dramatically to demonstrate His involvement in human affairs.  Elijah saw his confrontation with the priests of Baal as a critical moment in the history of Israel.  It was a time for the people to choose God or Baal (See 1 Kings 18:21), and so the time had arrived for God to demonstrate His power.

Yet, God chose not to speak to His prophet through fire and thunder this time.  Elijah needed to learn what we must all learn.  The point of God speaking in the still small voice was to show Elijah that the work of God need not always be accompanied by dramatic revelation or manifestations.  Divine silence does not necessarily mean divine inactivity.  Zechariah 4:6 tells us that God’s work is “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty.” meaning that overt displays of power are not necessary for God to work.  Even though God may at times interact with us in extraordinary ways, He can just as easily interact with us through the ordinary. 

Most often He instructs us as we read and study Scripture or listen to a sermon, particularly when we take the time to consider what we’ve read or heard.  But it is less important how God speaks to us than what we do with what He says. God speaks most clearly to us in this day through His Word. The more we learn it, the more ready we will be to recognize His voice when He speaks, and the more likely we are to obey what we hear.

He may also expect us to listen to the advice of a brother or sister in Christ, and to heed the counsel of one of God’s ministers.  Of course, when what we want to do is at odds with God’s will, God may get our attention through a troubled conscience.

Are we paying attention?

How Big Is God?

As curious beings, we spend much time investigating the world around us and asking a multitude of questions.  What role does man play on this incredible planet Earth?  How are we to relate to our fellow man?  Where can we explore that is deeper or higher?  These questions and many others lead our thoughts to consider mankind’s place in the Universe.  Humanity now numbers over seven billion living souls, and we exist together on a vast and diverse planet.  The overwhelming vastness of the Universe leads to the question, “How big is God?”

The truth of the matter is we cannot comprehend in any measurable degree the bigness of God. Astronomers estimate that there are as many galaxies outside the Milky Way as there are stars in it. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field (an image of a small region of space in the constellation Fornax) taken in 2004, imaged 10,000 galaxies in a cone of space so slim you could cover it with a grain of sand held at arm's length. Integrated over the entire sky, that would mean there are more than 100 billion galaxies in the visible universe, many with more than 100 billion stars each. According to Psalm 147:4, “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”    

In dealing with the issue of how big God is, we should first state that God is not made of stuff.  He has no dimensions, and spatial descriptions do not apply to Him.  God is not made at all but is preexistent, eternal, with no beginning and no end. (See Revelation 22:13)  He is existence, and without Him nothing else can exist.  God exists outside of and independent of His creation.

The Bible declares in Isaiah 40:12-13, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor?”

How big is God?  Very big.  More than that, God is transcendent.  There is no one His equal.  He is so superior that we can never fully understand Him.  At the same time, we are made in His image, and He loves us. (See Genesis 1:27; John 3:16)  He has communicated to us through His Word and His Son, Jesus.

I think you and I can agree that our view of God must increase.  This is one of the most important reasons to read the Bible consistently so we can grow in our knowledge of God.  The more we know Him the greater our understanding, faith, and love grows.  Take time this winter to look up into the heavens.  What you will see is a very, very small segment of the universe.  What you will be re-minded of is that our Great God measures this universe with the length of His Hand.  Imagine, one day we are going to see this Great God face-to-face.  Even though God is ever-present (See Psalm 139:7-10), filling the Universe and overseeing such an enormous Creation, He still inhabits the smallest and quietest of places.  

God is always present in our lives and will live in our hearts every day if only we would acknowledge Him and obey His will.

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-31)

God Pleasers

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Think carefully about the words you have just read.  The Bible declares that.  “…without faith it is impossible to please God…” (Hebrews 11:6)  It's easy to allow yourself, especially during difficult periods in life, to be influenced by others.  God is the only person that will always stand by you and have your back.  Then the sole ambition of every Christian should be to bring pleasure to God. When living to please the Lord, He becomes the center of a person’s life.  Now that we are living in the last days, the church is proclaiming a heretical message.

One Sunday morning before going to church, scan the channels on your television.  Listen to the many sermons that focus on man’s pleasure and good rather than God’s pleasure and good.  Let me say it plain and straight—people are looking for health, wealth and prosperity—seeking the gift rather than the Giver.

People shop for churches looking for what pleases them not where God would have them serve.  As a pastor, very few people have ever come to me asking “where can I serve the Lord in the church.” Most are interested in the church’s activities, the worship style and friendliness of the congregation. Is it wrong to want to know these things?  No.  But this is where it begins and ends.

The church has been shaped by the world’s message, Pamper yourself—treat yourself—you deserve it—only the best for you….  The point is this, if our existence on this planet is to please God, then we must abandon our wills and our pleasure, and live to please Him.  That means we must die to live!

I am motivated to please God by the fact that He gave all to me through the great sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ.  What could possibly move us more toward a life dedicated to pleasing the Lord than embracing the fact that He tasted death for every one of us.

Back to the question at hand, what is the greatest way to bring pleasure to God?  In fact, what is the only way that a man can please the Lord?  According to Hebrews 11:6 the only way to please Him is by FAITH.

God loves People Of Faith...God Pleasers!