Hearing God in the Hush
I sat in the quiet this morning, Bible open, waiting. I have said it several times over the last few days: Lord, Your servant is listening. Here I am, Lord. Use me. Speak to me.
And then... silence.
I didn't receive a profound, immediate word. No new book ideas dropped into my lap. No sudden, overwhelming clarity on the next steps for my business or my life. Just the quiet of the morning.
It is incredibly easy to feel discouraged when you position yourself in a posture of listening, fully expecting God to speak, and you are met with what feels like silence. We are wired to expect the spectacular. We expect a burning bush, a parted sea, or a booming voice from the heavens to confirm that we are on the right track. When it doesn't arrive the way we expect, it can feel like a spiritual disconnect.
But as I dove into my reading plan today, the Lord used the scriptures to speak directly into that exact feeling.
In 1 Kings 19, the prophet Elijah is in a dark place. He had just experienced a massive spiritual victory on Mount Carmel, but now he is exhausted, terrified, running for his life from Jezebel, and hiding in a cave. He is utterly depleted. God tells Elijah to go stand on the mountain because the Lord is about to pass by.
What happens next is a spectacular display of raw power. A great and powerful wind literally tears the mountains apart and shatters the rocks. Then, a massive earthquake shakes the ground. After that, a raging fire sweeps through.
These are signs of immense, terrifying strength. If any of us were standing there, we would assume God was speaking through the chaos. Yet, the text explicitly states three times: the Lord was not in the wind, the Lord was not in the earthquake, and the Lord was not in the fire.
Instead, when all the dramatic, powerful demonstrations of strength passed, there came "a sound of a gentle blowing"—a still, small voice.
The moment Elijah heard that quiet whisper, he immediately pulled his cloak over his face. He knew he was finally in the presence of God.
My posture of waiting in the quiet this morning wasn't a failure. Repeating, "Lord, Your servant is listening," puts me in the exact same place Elijah was. When we seek a word from the Lord, we naturally expect the earthquake or the fire. But Elijah's story confirms that a massive external demonstration is not the requirement for God's voice.
The absence of a spectacular sign does not mean God is silent.
God often chooses to speak precisely in the hush. Silence is not emptiness; it is the space where the noise of the world is stripped away so we can actually hear the whisper. Sometimes, we have to survive the wind, the earthquake, and the fire of our own chaotic lives before our ears are tuned enough to hear Him. I am learning to trust that my patience in the silence is exactly where I will meet the Lord.
Today's SOAP
S - Scripture
1 Kings 19:11-13 (NIV): "The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, 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. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'"
O - Observation
God unleashes spectacular, frightening natural forces: a mighty wind, an earthquake, and a fire. These are signs of immense power, yet the text explicitly states God was not in those spectacular events. Instead, the presence of the Lord is found in a gentle whisper. Elijah had to wait through the terrifying noise to hear the actual voice of God, and when he finally heard the quietness, he responded with complete reverence.
A - Application
The expectation of a dramatic, booming instruction from God often blinds us to how He actually communicates. When I sit in the morning and say, "Speak, Lord," I cannot be discouraged by the absence of an earthquake. The primary application is to recognize that silence is the required preparation to hear the still, small voice. I must quiet my own expectations and tune my ears to His gentle instructions, trusting that He speaks perfectly in the hush.
P - Prayer
Heavenly Father, I confess that I often expect or demand spectacular signs as confirmation of Your voice. When You answer with quietness, I feel discouraged, mistaking silence for Your absence. Thank You for Elijah's encounter on Mount Horeb. Thank You for the explicit reminder that Your presence is not contained merely in wind, earthquake, or fire, but often in the still, small whisper. Strengthen me in this posture of waiting. Help me to tune my ears to Your subtle, gentle instructions in the hush. I trust that I will hear Your voice precisely when and where You choose. In Jesus' name, Amen.
This picture was taken twelve years ago today during our James River run with Cash and Kenna-Kate. I get emotional when I see such photos because they remind me of memories I can't return to and which will never happen again.
