The Still Small Voice
Scripture Reading - 1 Kings 19:11-12 KJV
11 And he (The Lord God) said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake 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 a still small voice.
We (ihlcc) are still sharing on the subject of hearing “a voice” and discerning the source of the “voice”. In a prior lesson we spoke about recognizing “A Shift” in the tone and/or rate of words coming from the voice of the speaker to discern exactly when God is speaking. In another lesson we highlighted “The Voice” of God which is the voice of God’s Word. Since we know that His Voice is upholding all things by the Word of His Power it is critical that we hearken (listen and obey) unto God’s Voice. We also taught on “Your Voice” revealing two things. The first was that God learns about you from hearing your voice and the second is the truth that your voice is your authority in this earth. We also mentioned “the voice of reason” which contrasted the difference between carnal reasoning and godly reasoning according to God’s Word. Just remember spiritual reasoning according to God’s Word trumps carnal (natural, earthly) reasoning every time. We also spoke about hearing “Many Voices” and knowing that the majority of voices will not be God. Primarily because the natural man often speaks of natural things and seldom speaks of Godly Precepts and Principles to change your life. In today’s lesson we will discuss “The Still Small Voice”. We notice first in verse 11 that The Lord told Elijah the Prophet to “Go forth” which means we are to keep moving forward with God. Yes, the Prophet Elijah had just experienced a revival among the people of the land when God answered by fire the offering in His Name and the false prophets were slain for misrepresenting the true God of Israel. Of course we do understand even with current victory there can arise immediate persecution. Queen Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife wanted to kill Elijah for slaying her false prophets and attacking her false god Baal. Thus, persecution will come but we must be steadfast to keep going forward and purpose in heart to never look back with intentions of returning to our former sinful life. Next, the Lord God told him to stand upon the mount before the Lord. This standing upon the mount is a type of what we would consider “standing upon God’s Word”. Currently Jesus is solid Our Rock that we consider is so large it cannot be moved. The mountain of God always represents an impenetrable fortress that cannot be moved by any foe or forces of the enemy. Yes, The Lord Jesus Christ is our mighty mountain (The Rock) that cannot be moved and we can run into Him for refuge and safety. We understand from today’s reference scriptures that this specific mountain was before the Lord. In other words this mountain contained the Presence of God so that the prophet Elijah could express himself unto God personally. Personal fellowship with God concerning the specific problems you face in your own life is always the key to victory simply because no one can know you like Jesus and your Heavenly Father God and no man on earth can guarantee complete victory over your circumstances like Jesus and your Heavenly Father God. Yes, the Lord was there in that mountain but notice first that The Lord was not in the wind. The wind according to New Testament teaching could be the winds of false doctrine that even though people can be persuaded by the lies they hear from others that we as believers are not drawn away from God by false doctrines of wind trying to convince us to believe in lies. Notice secondly that the Lord was not in the earthquake which basically means two things. The first is that the Lord isn’t in the middle of natural catastrophes. Whether flooding, tornados, earthquakes and famine Our Good Lord is for sure a good God that doesn’t want any life lost or hurt due to unfortunate circumstances or natural tragedies. God’s unfailing love for all mankind (all people all over the world) persuades Him to do good only and never evil. Secondly, the earthquakes can symbolically mean large problems that can shake the foundation you stand upon. This means tragic events and/or life threatening circumstances are not God’s Will but rather situations that you and God must deal with together while upon this earth, just think in Heaven tragedy shall be no more. The third condition we notice is fire and God was not in the fire. This fire could be referring to the burning of false sacrifices and a type of false worship of God. Many religions of that day and even now presently burn sacrifices to God using fire. Yes, the fire is hot enough to consume both man and beast as well as any natural thing that comes into contact with it. This reminds us that even in things that may appear religious The Lord might not be involved with it at all. So steer clear of making assumptions that God is involved in all things whether good or bad because for sure the Lord was not in the damaging wind, the dividing earthquake or the destructive fire. However, we know the Lord was in something and verse 12 describes that something as “the still small voice”. This means you, just as Elijah did, must first become “still”. This means stop moving around so much that you don’t even know where you are going. How can we expect to meet someone in a specific spot if we don’t even know when we will get there? So “be still” states the Holy Bible and know that I am God.-Refer to Psalm 46:10 Once you have become “still” you must then shrink yourself to be “small”. We (ihlcc) call this being humble, whether lowering your body position in prayer or standing while worshipping and praising God for His Greatness you must become “small” in your own eyes to even be considered “small” in God’s eyes. When you are “small” in your own eyes (your abilities, your resources, your talents, your skills, etc…) you will acknowledge the great power of God in your affairs of life because the lowly in Christ know the truth that God is the only source of all good things happening in our life. Knowing this truth makes them free from pride. It’s not about your natural posture or position but rather your spiritual state (being born again) and soft mindset (humility) in respect to God. Yes, we can become “small” at any moment but the best medicine is to just remain “small” in your everyday walk of life because the truth is the more you are looking at God the less you are focusing upon men (including yourself). Finally, we notice when the Prophet Elijah did his part God was faithful to do His Part of showing up (on-time mind you) and speaking plainly and clearly to Elijah. This encounter between God and man shows us first how much God loves us and it also shows us how much God wants to communicate with us during our time of need. Elijah could be you or me or we (ihlcc) because he represents someone who is tired and discouraged but all he needed was strength and encouragement, which both are found in Christ Jesus. We all have fallen short of the glory of God so we must strive to “be still and small” to hear from our God because then and only then will we be able to do the good works of love Jesus commissioned us to do in His Name while visiting this earth. If changing our schedule can keep us “still” for a designated amount of time it is worth it to us because He is worthy of our time and attention. If shifting our attitude to be “small” on self –confidence while large on Christ Consciousness it is worth to us because He is worthy of our soul and adoration. So listen for “the still small voice” and then listen to “the still small voice” to obey God in your life because if you listen to God in the large areas of concern you will also be in the right position to listen to God in even the minor details of your life in Jesus Name. Amen!