Can you hear God the way David describes his voice with so much drama in Psalm 29:
"the voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; ... The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightening. The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; ... The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare."
With a voice as powerful as that, how can we not help but hear him?
Is it a question of tuning my heart to hear his voice? He speaks in the pounding of the surf onto the beach. He speaks through the power of the mighty Niagara Falls. He speaks and his voice reverberates through the echo of the frightening thunder. He speaks in the hurricane force winds that rip up the mighty trees and fling them about as though they were toothpicks. How do I fail to hear his voice?
Is it that with modern technology and all that man can do today, the voice of the Lord is just not that impressive anymore? Do 3D effects and surround sound diminish the thundering voice of God in my life?
Maybe I'm more like Elijah who only heard the voice of the Lord when he came whispering: "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."(1 Kings 19:11-13)
God put on a veritable 3D, amazing surround sound show for Elijah. The display would rival anything James Cameron could imagine, and yet at the end of the day, God didn't speak to Elijah through the "awesome cosmic power" but through a "gentle whisper!"
Maybe I'm looking for God's voice in all the wrong places! Maybe I need to listen for a "gentle whisper" and there, I will find God; there in the midst of the noise and confusion around me that drowns out God's powerful voice, if I just quiet myself and listen carefully, I will catch that gentle whisper.
A whisper can have an amazingly powerful effect. When my wife whispers that she loves me it moves my heart. When a friend whispers to me, "good job," it has a powerful effect upon my spirit.
Maybe, just maybe, a whisper is more effective than a "shock and awe" display. Maybe, just maybe, all I really need is a gentle whisper when I've been looking for the "shock and awe." Perhaps that "gentle whisper" will be more powerful than the booming, heart stopping sound of thunder.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.
