A Still, Small Voice

That look—the one only a parent (or a teacher) can give to an erring child—its message is unmistakable—stop it or face the consequences. The parent doesn't have to say a word—no yelling required—but the child gets the message.

God often works with us in the same way. We can see this with Elijah in 1 Kings 19: 9-18. Elijah is on the run after Jezebel has threatened to kill him. He has gone through the wilderness and has been met and nourished by God for the journey, and finally he comes to a cave where he decides to stop. After Elijah decides to stop running, God comes to him and confronts him with a question. “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah doesn't really answer the question, but instead trots out his excuses: “I've been doing all this good stuff for you, Lord, but those unbelievers are trying to kill me, the only prophet left.”

God doesn’t reply to this, but instead tells Elijah to “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” Elijah obeys and is shown three powerful elements–wind, earthquake, and fire. But the Lord is in none of these. Then he hears “the sound of a low whisper” a small, still voice (NKJV) and this is the Lord.

Despite His power, God doesn't often come with a pounding at the door or a thunderbolt or a whirlwind or something else equally earth-shattering. Often He comes with a gentle tap—the “still small voice” which is just as much God's call as any of the “obvious” calls and/or warnings He may send. The trouble is that the quiet prod at the conscience or the tender oh-so gentle reminder can be so easily pushed away. God's “low whisper” is easy to ignore—especially when our life is going well. It is more easily ignored than the wind, earthquake, and fire. Yet His whispers are no less convicting than these. 

The little voice that speaks in your heart—the one that reminds you of the things you have or haven't done—the things you've been neglecting—that voice is easy to stifle with busyness and other things.

This tendency to let the busyness of life (whether intentionally or not) drown out the still small voice is what part of what Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung outlines in her book Glittering Vices as being a big part of the vice of sloth. She writes that “the apathetic inertia of the lazy person andthe perpetual motion of the busy person [ . . . ] both reveal a heart afflicted by this vice.” Traditionally, the vice of sloth is opposed to diligence; however, DeYoung points out that it is not just about the difference between apathy and work ethic. Instead, she says that busyness and workaholism are “sloth's classic symptoms.” 

Sloth isn't just about not doing things; it IS about not doing what you shouldbe doing.

God comes with a still, small voice. He waits to be gracious to us (Isa30:18) —He does not willingly grieve the children of men (Lam 3:33b). But if He has to be rough with us, He will be. Just look at how he deals with Israel's inconstancy throughout the Old Testament. However, He is merciful and very, very patient. He even repeats Himself to get the message into our thick skulls and stony hearts.

Looking at how God deals with Elijah, we can see that repetition plays a large role. God asks Elijah twice “What are you doing here?” and even though He gets the same self-centred answer from Elijah both times, He still persists, reminding Elijah that He is in control, NOT Jezebel.

God doesn’t leave us alone; He repeats Himself—a lot—because He wants us with HIM.

Sometimes it might be easier to get the earthquake— because we would have a clear sign—but then we wouldn't have to follow God's command, to listen and be obedient.

1 Kings 19: 9-18
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold,the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke 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. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.

13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Still, Waiting: Revelations of Jot and Tittle

I lay in bed, endeavouring to go to sleep, when suddenly I had a revelation:

I must not think of myself self-pityingly as “still waiting” (sigh), but rather must be still, waiting. This is the direct command of God:

Be still, and know that I am God. (Ps. 46:10a)
Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (Ps. 27:14)

The difference between “still waiting” and “still, waiting” (besides the sigh) is one tiny comma, yet it makes all the difference to the state of my heart. The first action is being still. Instead of running around frantically looking for a husband because “I’m getting older and I’m all alone and all my friends are getting married, etc.” I must place myself in a place of resting on the Lord. To the inaction of being still is added the command, “and know that I am God.” It is not “Be still. Know I am God.” But “Be still, and know that I am God.” The conjunction “and” joins these two things together–they are coupled–stillness is necessary to know God. We must commune with Him in the stillness of our hearts. This means that our hearts must be emptied of the outside world, of our petty idols, “things,” so that we have space to worship.

The first word “still” is in company (not joined) with another word, “waiting”. The words are divided by a comma, they are not a phrase, but two separate words. Waiting in the Lord is not the anxious waiting of an expectant father in the hospital, pacing down the halls, wondering when, if ever, the contractions will be over and his wife wheeled down to the delivery room to birth their child; rather, it is,

“Steadfastness, that is holding on;
patience, that is holding back;
expectancy, that is holding the face up;
obedience, that is holding one’s self in readiness to go or do;
listening, that is holding quiet and still so as to hear.”
(S.D. Gordon from Quiet Talks on Prayer as quoted by Elisabeth Elliot in Passion and Purity)

Steadfastness is perseverance in the face of trial or inaction. Patience is withstanding the temptation to help God along (like Abraham, like Rebecca). Expectancy is hope and confidence that the thing desired will be given and faith that God answers prayer. Obedience is not merely adhering to “Thou shalt not,” but also the willingness to answer “Yes, Lord” to the “Thou shalt”‘s. Listening is silence of the heart under the shadow of God’s wing, and includes being “still”, but it is being still “so as to hear”. We cannot hear God’s still, small voice if we keep banging on pots and pans, trying to get His attention. We must cut out the racket and be still, wait for Him to answer us. But we do not have to do it alone, for the psalmist confesses in the rest of Ps. 27:14, “be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thy heart.” God gives us strength to do His will. But He is also a God who rewards faith in Him, as Jeremiah testifies,

The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. (Lamentations 3:25)

Christ Himself promises that “…all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”(Matt 21:22)

I ask for Christ-centred stillness and silent waiting on His will.