The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. For when He spoke, the world began! It appeared at His command. Psalm 33:6,9 (NLT)

Qol Yahweh, Hebrew for the Voice of the LORD… how beautiful, how powerful, how awesome is the voice of our God. He speaks and creation is just…there. A mere breath and the sky is filled with stars… At the sound of His voice, waters part and mountains crumble. And that same God uses His voice to speak to us. Who am I that the God of Glory would desire to converse with me?

As Christians, we know that God primarily speaks through His Word but He also chooses to speak through other people or through our circumstances. I mean, come on, God could literally write the message in the sky if He chose to do it that way. There is no limit to the ways God can speak. Just as we have different tones and volumes to our voices, God changes things up there as well. Part of me thinks that if He would just speak in the same way all the time, it would be easier to recognize His voice. If I knew what to listen for, surely there would be no way for me to miss it, right? But even as I type that, I don’t believe that is necessarily the case.

When I am working, running or just doing something around the house, sometimes I will turn on a tv show that I’ve seen a hundred times or music that I have heard over and over. I know what’s coming next in the conversation or in the lyrics. I am so familiar with these shows or songs, that even as I listen, I am not really hearing it. I have grown so accustomed to them, they just sorta become background noise. I wonder if God knows that is how I would be with His voice too. If He always spoke in the same manner, would I just get used to it and allow it to blend into the background? Instead of being more easily recognizable, would it become more easily ignored?

There are times when we want to speak in a way that will absolutely get someone’s attention. Maybe we are cheering them on at a sporting event, shouting congratulatory praises at a graduation or awards ceremony or yelling out a warning of danger ahead. We wave our hands in the air and loudly shout their name, giving them no option but to hear our voice. There are times when God speaks like this. “Listen carefully to the thunder of God’s voice as it rolls from His mouth. God’s voice is glorious in the thunder. We can’t even imagine the greatness of His power.” (Job 37:2,5) God knows there are times when He must speak above all the other noise in our life. Whether He is trying to protect us from something or point us in the right direction, He knows that in order for us to hear Him, His voice needs to be loud, thunderous, bold and unmistakable. In those moments when He speaks as loud as thunder or crashing waves and as quick as a flash of lightning, it is humbling and awe-inspiring to know that all-powerful voice is directed at us. He loves us enough to get our attention. But sometimes, He knows we need something else so He takes a different approach.

I remember when my children were little and one of them would run up to me to whisper a secret in my ear. They would lean in so close, cupping their little hands around my ear, whispering in a voice so soft and low, that sometimes the words were hard to understand. I could feel the warmth of their breath on my ear, the tickle of their hair as it brushed against my face. This moment was so up close and personal, so intimate and as I think back on it today, it was an absolute precious moment in time. Whatever the secret might be, this was a moment just for us. God knows there are times He needs to speak that way to us. “And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:11-12) Life can be so hard, so discouraging and there are times when we need comfort, love, compassion and that is when God steps in close and whispers. He pours out those soft, tender words and reminds us that we are not alone. In those moments, He wants us to remember that not only is He the God of all strength, all power, all might.. He is also the God of compassion, tenderness and love. He gives us these intimate moments with Him to let us understand that in Him, we already have all we need. Just think how close God must be to us as He whispers what we need to hear. Strive to feel the warmth of His breath, lean into the safety of His arms and let Him comfort you with soft, tender words of love.

Whatever you are asking of God, know that He is going to answer. Believe that you will hear His voice at the right time. Be listening for the thunder, the crashing waves, but also be attentive to the whisper when His Spirit is so close you can feel the presence of God. How lovely is the sound of His voice…