{"id":24,"date":"2015-06-01T22:17:57","date_gmt":"2015-06-01T22:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=24"},"modified":"2019-04-24T05:03:19","modified_gmt":"2019-04-24T05:03:19","slug":"the-still-small-voice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2015\/06\/the-still-small-voice.html","title":{"rendered":"The Still Small Voice"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"cold-dark-eerie-414144\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The world is a noisy place.\u00a0 If you live and work with people, you are bombarded by their opinions, issues and needs.\u00a0 If you watch television or the read the news, there is more of the same.\u00a0 It is hard not to be overwhelmed by the racket.\u00a0 It is even harder to ignore those distractions and focus on having a relationship with God.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because God speaks to us in what the Bible calls \u201ca still small voice.\u201d\u00a0 Unlike the world, God\u2019s approach to us is subtle.\u00a0 Yet His way is much more powerful.\u00a0 His is the voice that we can\u2019t hear naturally, but it is the one we cannot ignore.<\/p>\n

The term \u201cstill small voice\u201d comes from 1 Kings 19:11-13.\u00a0 In this part of the Bible story, Elijah is on Mount Horeb when God speaks to him.\u00a0 The author tells us that before God comes, there first is a strong wind that breaks the rocks into pieces.\u00a0 Then there is an earthquake and then a fire.\u00a0 The Bible makes clear that God does not speak to Elijah through any of these dramatic events of nature.\u00a0 Instead, when it is all over, God speaks to Elijah in \u201ca still small voice\u201d (KJV) or a \u201cgentle whisper\u201d (NIV).\u00a0 It is significant that God comes to Elijah quietly, only after all the noise is over.<\/p>\n

In practical terms, what does it mean for us to hear God?\u00a0 What does it mean to hear that gentle whisper?\u00a0 God often talks to us through our gut.\u00a0 So, if you don\u2019t feel at peace about a decision, that is God\u2019s way of telling you not to do it.\u00a0 Instead, pray for God to open new doors.\u00a0 They may not be the doors that you were thinking of, but they will be the right ones.\u00a0 If someone doesn\u2019t treat you well, God will plant in your heart concerns about the relationship.\u00a0 Don\u2019t stay with that person.\u00a0 Have faith that God will bring someone kind into your life.\u00a0 Likewise, don\u2019t pursue a career that doesn\u2019t feel right to you. \u00a0That is God\u2019s way of telling you that you would be better suited to do something else.\u00a0 \u00a0Wait and pray for God to bring you the right opportunities.<\/p>\n

The challenge for each of us is to ignore the voices coming at us from the world and instead to listen to God.\u00a0 Every bad choice I\u2019ve made in my life, every mistake I\u2019ve made, has been because I listened to people instead of listening to God.\u00a0 People don\u2019t have bad intentions, but they are fallible.\u00a0 They are interested in your living in a way that serves their needs.\u00a0 People will encourage you to stay in a bad marriage because they think that divorce is wrong.\u00a0 They will encourage you to follow a career path that doesn\u2019t suit you because it is a stable profession.\u00a0 They will push you into decisions that would be right for them but are wrong for you.\u00a0 People have funny ideas.\u00a0 Ignoring people is hard but necessary in order to allow God to direct your life.<\/p>\n

In order to hear God, it is important to create time each day that is without distraction.\u00a0 We can\u2019t hear God if the TV is blaring, or the radio is on in our car every time we drive somewhere.\u00a0 We can\u2019t hear God if we are attached to our phones and computers.\u00a0 We can\u2019t hear God if we don\u2019t stop talking when we pray.\u00a0 Silence is difficult.\u00a0 When we are silent, the thoughts that we have been trying to avoid come into our minds.\u00a0 But if we are patient, those thoughts will leave.\u00a0 And then there will be space for that still small voice.<\/p>\n

(Photo Courtesy of Pexels)<\/p>\n

Email: yourmorningcupofinspiration@gmail.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The world is a noisy place.\u00a0 If you live and work with people, you are bombarded by their opinions, issues and needs.\u00a0 If you watch television or the read the news, there is more of the same.\u00a0 It is hard not to be overwhelmed by the racket.\u00a0 It is even harder to ignore those distractions…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Still Small Voice - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2015\/06\/the-still-small-voice.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Still Small Voice - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The world is a noisy place.\u00a0 If you live and work with people, you are bombarded by their opinions, issues and needs.\u00a0 If you watch television or the read the news, there is more of the same.\u00a0 It is hard not to be overwhelmed by the racket.\u00a0 It is even harder to ignore those distractions…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2015\/06\/the-still-small-voice.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-06-01T22:17:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-04-24T05:03:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/files\/2015\/06\/cold-dark-eerie-414144.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Meerabelle Dey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Still Small Voice - 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