Live It: Daily Devotion Friday:Listening

By: Josh Pepper

For years, I made the mistake of looking for God in all the wrong places. On this journey to seek His direction for our lives, it is extremely easy to fall into the temptation to think that every little thing that comes along our path, every opportunity, every Bible verse, every message is something God is speaking to us in that moment. And, to be clear, He is more than capable of doing just that! 

However, more than likely, God’s voice of influence in our lives is much simpler and much quieter. I love stories of people becoming radically saved by a message on the television or a song on the radio, but God doesn’t always operate that way. In fact, most of the time, we can miss what He is saying entirely because of the distractions around us. This is why we spent two days taking inventory of the things that can cause us to miss what God is calling us to be.

When I think about how God speaks to us, I am reminded of the story of Elijah the Prophet in 1 Kings 19. God told Elijah that He was going to show Himself to the prophet. 

“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. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.”

The Lord was in the gentle whisper. 

When you listen for the voice of God in your life, are you listening for the storm of activity or the still small voice hidden in a gentle whisper? It is so important that we weed out the distractions that can so easily drown out the voice of God speaking into our lives. 

As you listen for God today, set aside some time to find a quiet place, settle yourself through the reading of God’s Word and prayer. Then, ask for the Lord to speak, and prepare yourself to hear Him whispering to you.