Every Friday I join a community of bloggers for Five Minute Friday. One word prompt, five minutes. The prompt this week is … Loud.
In these days which are shifting and changing, there are many decisions being made. Every front of life is faced with choices and often it is hard to know which way to go, what would be the right or wrong option.
The voices are loud all around us, clamoring to get our attention. Often the loudest are heard the most often and our focus is given to them simply due to their volume.
But what if we were to be like Elijah as he encountered the Lord?
The Lord tells him to go out on the mountain. It was there, Elijah experienced a windstorm which was so terrible that the rocks were torn loose. But the Lord was not found in the wind. Then came an earthquake, but the Lord was not found in the earthquake. After the earthquake, Elijah experienced a fire, but the Lord was not found in the fire.
After the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper. And it was in the gentle whisper, that Elijah found the Lord.
In these days, when there are loud voices seeking to be heard by us, may we lean in and hear the gentle whisper of the One who will speak truth to us. May we turn our ears to hear the words He whispers to guide us in the days to come.
“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:11-12, NLT)
This is excellent Joanne. There is so much “clamoring for our attention” these days. Elijah is a great choice for today’s prompt! Thank you. Karen (FMF #5)
Discerning his in the din is the hard part sometimes. Thanks for the reminder!
yes, grateful He speaks in the gentle whispers and the stillness. practicing grace today through seeking to commune with God in the stillness <3
Loved this Joanne – the fact that Elijah wanted to see God in ‘the loud’, but God wanted to speak to him in intimacy in the whisper! There is such a message for us there – thank you. fmf#8
Some think that message is the sum
of volume, so they crank it all,
but the louder that they come,
the harder they are gonna fall,
’cause God’s not really interested
in the drumbeat, in the roar;
all that noise, all that’s insisted,
He has seen it all before.
He wasn’t awed by Pharisees
who wailed and tore apart their robes
because they that that it would please
Him (and save from a fate like Job’s);
the loud don’t understand His choice
for glory in a still, small voice.
Thank you for stopping by my blog and for your lovely comment on my being an empty nest homemaker article. Your visit to me enabled me to find you! The still, small voice is so hard to hear over the screaming voices, isn’t it? I’ve been walking through an anxiety flare-up with a friend, and she has said that deep down, she hears God’s voice, but that the anxious, “what if” thoughts are far louder, and it is hard to hear God through them. It’s kind of interesting that God doesn’t scream at us. When we want to make a point, we just talk louder, but God doesn’t work that way.
Blessings,
Patti @ Clothed with Joy
Thank you for this reminder. Need to tune it to the one who matters. Visiting from Friendship Friday. Have a great weekend!
Oh, it’s so hard to stand still during the windstorms, isn’t it? But if we don’t, we’ll miss the whisper.
Some days it’s a trick to hear what we are supposed (and only what we are supposed). May God give the ears of our heart discernment.
Amie, FMF #14
Perfect thoughts on “loud”, Joanne! Yes, there are a lot of loud voices that could drown out God’s whisper if we allow them to. Thank you for the good reminder to be still and quiet in order to hear His voice.
Everything is so loud these days, isn’t it? Praying for continued grace to keep still and hear His whisper. FMF#7
“In these days, when there are loud voices seeking to be heard by us, may we lean in and hear the gentle whisper of the One who will speak truth to us.”
So, so good! I have cut back on my social media for this very reason. I want God’s voice to be the most prominent in my life. I don’t want his gentle whisper to be drowned out by that which does not matter. Thank you for these wonderful words of encouragement!
Love,
Annie FMF#18
Great post and reminder, Joanne.
I love this Bible account. Thanks for bringing it to mind. A great one to meditate on – especially during these loud days we live in! I trying to lean in harder…listening for God in the quiet voice! Amidst all the noise! Have a great weekend, Joanne!
Joanne, I love this story about Elijah, and how you used it in today’s post! You’re right. there are many things in this life clamoring for our attention. But, if we wait to hear, if we actively listen for, God’s still small voice, we will know how to navigate the circumstances that sound so loud in our lives.
I love this! May we listen for that gentle whisper.