"When God says something important, He whispers." Mark Batterson

The voice of God is a creative force. When we look at the beginning of time in the Bible, we witness God speaking, and the world coming into existence.

Genesis 1: 1-4 NIV 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. '

Psalm 29:4, 11 "The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace."

The primary way that God speaks to us is through His Word, the Bible. He is showing us the way: His way. Through the Bible, God gives direction, correction, inspiration and encouragement. In fact, it states it like this,

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

The Bible is the foundation of hearing about God, hearing from God, and knowing Him. We come to understand the heart of God, and His love for us. It is the root of our faith and our experience in the Christian life. Recently, I listened to a teaching called, "Whisper" by Mark Batterson, taken from his book about hearing from God. It gives insight into how God speaks to us. In it, he shares about the experience of Elijah.

1 Kings 19:11-13 'The Lord said, " Go out and stand in the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by .... but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper."

In the Bible God used many different situations, or circumstances, to speak to people. His voice came through a specific location, a burning bush, the voice of the prophets, writing appearing on a wall, and even through a donkey. Batterson says that when God says something important, He whispers. He uses a still small voice, as some Bible translations describe it.

When someone whispers they grab our attention. We need to lean into them, focus more intently, and give our ear to the fine details of what they're saying. What is God whispering to you right now? Have you given Him your focus and leaned in to perceive the details. What is God using to get your attention? He will use desires, open or closed doors, and dreams. He speaks through promptings from the Holy Spirit, and through people and pain. He is trying to get your attention. Do you have the ears to hear?

My friend, you too can hear the voice of God. He is speaking to you. Ask Him to meet with you, and then sit still and listen. Lean into His whisper and be encouraged.