“Does God still speak”? Is the question I asked myself after preaching a few years ago on 1 Kings 19. For Elijah, God was not in the strong wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but was heard in a still small voice. We live in a world with so much noise that I realized maybe the question is not does God speak, but rather do I listen? I grasped the concept that I needed some silence in my life.
Silence is awkward. It can be perplexing. Silence requires time and discipline. I knew in order to hear God speak I needed to tune out the noise to hear His still small voice.
Monday morning arrived and I did something I had never done before. As is my daily practice, I read the Bible, then I took out time to pray, but then I kept silent to hear God speak. I waited and waited only to hear nothing. I was disappointed because I didn’t hear Him speak, but the solemnity that came with the silence was golden.
At this time I was also a chaplain at a nursing home. When I got to the facility that morning I went about my normal day greeting the residents and staff. Then I heard it! The still small voice was leading me to speak to particular staff member. I was reluctant as, in the past, this person had told me she wanted nothing to do with God.
Then again the prompting was so strong I felt the urge to knock on her door and ask her three times is everything ok. With a smile every time she said she was doing great. Then on my final inquiry she broke down and started to cry. She proceeded to tell me she told God last night she was going to commit suicide if he didn’t send someone to talk to her. We were able to get her the help she needed, and I had a new perspective on His voice.
When I say voice it was not audible, but it was strong. I was connected to God and open to listening not just that morning in the silence but the entire day. “Does God still speak”? Yes He does! God speaks, and He yearns for His children to listen. I now practice listening daily so when God does speak I am available to hear.