“…a still small voice…” (1 Kings 19)

 

It has been said that those who like to speak about themselves and to boast of their greatness, “Love the sound of their own voice.”  That is usually not a compliment.  However, The Godhead loves to hear His own voice, for the Godhead’s voice is Christ, the Word of God. The Father and the Spirit love to hear His Voice.  The Son and the Spirit love to hear the Fathers’s Voice. The Father and the Son love to hear the Voice of the Spirit and yes, Reader, the Spirit doth speak and He doth speak often. So too do the people of God love to hear the voice of God.

However, there is a double-edged sword dynamic to God’s Voice.  Let us return to the garden in Genesis.  In the cool of the even, Adam and Eve would hear the voice of their Creator and they would come to Him and they would walk with Him and they would talk to Him and He would……………………….

“tell [them they are] His Own and the joy [they] shared, as they tarried there, none other has ever known.  He [spoke] and the sound of His Voice was so sweet, the birds hush[ed] their singing.” Reader, ’tis so sweet to walk with [the Lord] Jesus when one is walking in the light and in the will of God.  However.

When one has done wrong and that Voice calls, it is a frightful sound, is it not, Reader? Is it not?  “The rage of a king is as the roaring of a lion.”  When one has done wrong one dreads to hear the righteous judgement of a king, Haman received a just sentence and that sentence was the death of his whole house.  Reader, to some the Voice of God is like a shepherd calling his flock, for Christ, the Good and Chief Shepherd said, “…the sheep hear [H]is voice; and [H]e calleth them by name, and leadeth them out. And when [H]e putteth forth [H]is [O]wn sheep, [H]e goeth before them, and the sheep follow [H]im: for they know [H]is [V]oice.”  It is true that thieves may come to try and lure the sheep away, but the sheep will not hear them.

The sheep will not move at the voice of a thief. the sheep doth not recognize the voice. The liar is come to steal, kill and destroy, but the sheep do not act upon the killer’s voice. The sheep know the Shepherd’s Voice and to Him and to Him Alone will they respond.  It is true of you and me, Reader, You and I should be able to recognize the Voice and the Word of Christ when we hear it. We, as Christ’s flock, ought never to fall into the trapper’s snare. If it sounds not like the Good and Chief Shepherd, answer not the call.

The Voice of our God is most powerful.  Remember when Judas, the betrayer, led the soldiers to Christ?  The soldiers asked for the Christ and He answer, “I am,” and the soldiers fell backward?  Then with power and authority, Christ looked over the fallen and asked, “Whom seek ye?” When they answered, He again said, “I am.”  This display or mainfestation of power was used as to communicate His voluntary submission to the soldiers and to give them something to think about over the next hours. His authority and power was also demonstrated so that the soldiers would hearken unto His command to let His disciples go.

In one (1) of our titles above, we used the name “Vavoom.”  “Vavoom is a fictional and animated character that is part of the “Felix, the Cat” cartoon.  Vavoom has such a voice that he could demolish anything and everything in front of him.  If there was a mountain in his way, he would open his mouth and shout, “vavoom”  and the mountain would come crumbling down.  Vavoom would shout the same word again and the crumbled down mountain would split in half and provide him access.  This Vavoom would also use this voice to deliver Felix, the Cat and himself from trouble. Nothing could stand before the vavoom of Vavoom.

This is literally true of God’s Voice as we saw it knock over soldiers of the Roman army.  Use your perspective at this point, Reader.  It would take a large man to take down a centurion. These soldiers were trained in battle. These men were no “push-overs” to be sure.  These men stood in battle as their counterparts, wielded sword and shield against them.  These men were trained to stay on their feet. To fall is to give the upper hand to the man seeking to kill them. The higher ground was the soldier standing over a fallen enemy.

Christ, with the Word, “I Am” sent these guards falling backward.  Christ had the higher ground, Christ had the advantage.  Reader, I do not make little of Christ’s physical appearance as He must has been a rather strong and fit man due to His carpentry and all the traversing upon foot as was His custom, but He was no trained soldier, it may be advanced that He knew how to grapple as that was a favoured sport at that time, (Reader, I speak of the Lord Jesus in His human capacity, I fully understand, He had the ability to destroy any opponent with any style of combat), but to go up against these large and well armoured soldiers, there was little point.  We are told in Isaiah that there was nothing physically outstanding about the Lord’s appearance that would draw anyone’s attention.

Yet with the spoken Word He, for all accounts and purposes, humiliated and put down the soldiers with His Voice. In Revelation 1, 14, &19, It is written that Christ has the Voice of many waters.  It might have been this force of many waters that put the soldiers down at Christ’s feet, how unfortunate they were not kneeling forward at His feet in stead of laying on their backs having being put down.

However, to the praise of God, we are not terrified of His voice.  No, we like, Elijah of old, hear His “still small voice.”  Still small voice does not mean God’s Voice is still small instead of now being BIG, no, not at all.  When Scripture tells us that God’s Voice is a “still small voice,” we are to understand that God speaks to us with a quiet and gentle Voice that should comfort and quiet our spirits, minds, thoughts, concerns and fears.  God’s Voice is a stilling Voice.  God in the Psalms tells us to, “Be still and know that I am God.”  Reader, this is an invitation to peace and rest.  To the wicked, God’s Voice should be and will certainly be terrifying as He pronounced judgement upon their eternal souls. But unto You and i, who know Whom we have believed and Who allows us into His Presence, never to leave, His Voice issettling, calming, comforting, encouraging, and stilling.

Reader, do you know that stilling, calming, and quiet Voice of the GREAT BIG GOD? If not, I beseeach thee, shut down, be quiet, be still, and listen.  You do not want God to shout in order to gain your attention, No, you do not. Reader, tonight, lie down or even right now, lie down call upon God and ask Him for a time of peace so that you might hear His Voice.  This may take time and practice, but it is worth your time and practice.  If you have ignored God for a time and now you think you can go to Him and say, “okay, God, This is a convenient time to listen to you, so go on and talk to me.”  My diluded or intoxicated brother or sister, it does not work that way.

If you have shut God out because there have been “more importantant things” going on, You must confess your arrogance, and your stupidity before God.  You must tell Him, there is nothing more preeminent that He. You must tell Him, you have sinned in praying not, you must tell Him you were foolish to put other things before Him. You must acknowledge you were seeking your own kingdom first (1st) and not His.   Reader, how can I be so forthright?  Because, Reader, I must do the same all the time.  This is common to all of us.

I cannot, cannot, cannot, impress upon you enough, Reader, to obtain a copy of, “The Practicing of the Presence of God.”  I beseech thee, beloved, obtain this book, read the entire thing, it is very, very, short. I think it is under a hundred pages in many editions. Then spend a month reading each conversation and each letter one at a time every day.

Reader, the Voice of God is lovely and welcome to those who are loved by God. Mary, upon Christ’s resurrection, welcomed that Familiar Voice. The Voice of God will be a terror to them that are unfamiliar with the Majestic and Regal Voice of God. Many others, when God spoke to an individual, such as Paul, or to John Baptist, heard only thunder and fearful sounds.

Reader, What do you hear or what will you hear when God’s Voice is directed at you?

Godspeed.