So often God’s movement is described with adjectives like awesome, great, powerful and mighty. When we consider what God does and the impact He has on our lives, these are accurate descriptions. It stands to reason that we expect His voice to be like thunder coming from the sky booming out instructions or that He will only speak to us after we shout and praise Him the loudest we can. I, myself, have been caught up in the fervor of songs and praise as though the more active I got the more I expected God to move. But the more I grow, the more I hear Him speak to me in whispers.

And so it goes. In the midst of preparing a meal, in the deep of night when sleep is so sweet, driving down the road or just in the glimpse of another’s face, He calls our names to follow Him, to do His bidding, to bridge gaps, to encourage, to praise His holy name, to just sit and talk with Him awhile and more importantly to listen to His voice, His instructions, His corrections, His calming words.

I find it striking that as well as Elijah knew God, he had to learn or perhaps re-learn this lesson. Elijah was a witness to the power and awesomeness of God, yet he became filled with fear and ran away to die. Not so, said the Lord. Instead, God leads him to a place of solitude where Elijah would be able to hear Him speak. He heard the mighty wind, felt the shaking earth and saw the fire, but it was God’s whisper that Elijah recognized and responded to. It was God’s whisper that instructed, encouraged and gave new strength to Elijah.

The God of Elijah is alive today and He still whispers to His people. Are you in a position to hear? Are you listening?