The Sound of God's Voice

A song glided over the mountains and slipped through the window of my hotel room, or so I thought. As I woke up in one of my favorite places on earth, the Blue Ridge Mountains, I strained to hear the melody of some faint sound. Where is that coming from? Can the mountains really sing?

I turned on the light and almost decided the mountain tops possessed some magical quality. And then I discovered it. The new alarm app on my tablet was quietly urging me to wake up. The volume was turned down so low I didn’t even realize it was speaking to me.

The Power of God’s Volume

There have been times in my life that I wanted God to blare an answer to my question or trumpet the timing of His plan. But I’ve discovered that it’s the quiet moments that take His soft reply and sear His answer on my heart. He doesn’t need to shout. He simply needs to whisper. Do we realize He is speaking to us?

God’s choice method of communication to the mighty prophet Elijah was not a show of overwhelming strength. God didn’t appear to him in a great wind, a tumultuous earthquake, or a raging fire. “A still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12 NKJV^*) glided over the mountain to Elijah’s hiding place in the cave. God reassured him that seven thousand people were still faithful to the one true God in a land ruled by an idolatrous king and queen. God also gave him his next assignment—to find Elisha, his future apprentice. Elijah wouldn’t have to continue his ministry alone. God’s comforting words enabled him to keep moving forward with His plan, enabling Elijah to overcome fear with the promises of God and faith in the One who gave them.

The Power of God’s Word

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21 NKJV

You shall hear a word … just a word. A simple word from God can make all the difference in the trajectory of our lives and the strength of our hearts. What word do you need to hear from Him today?

• I have loved you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).
• You are mine (Isaiah 43:1).
• I am with you always (Matthew 28:20).  
• Go and sin no more (John 8:11).
• With God all things are possible (Mark 10:27).

God knows when we need comfort and strength, and He also knows when we need a specific word of direction. He gives it to us at just the right time. If we’re listening. A close relationship with God in which we constantly depend on Him and ask Him for guidance, turns anxiety into peace and ignorance into wisdom.

Asking a certain question usually helps me to know whether the source of an answer is God or not. “Father, if You were to bind all other voices and I were to hear only from You and do Your will, what is Your will about …?” This question usually yields an answer before I even finish saying it. Hearing from God brings peace to our hearts, direction for our lives, and His best path for our today and tomorrow.

Hold on to those moments when the voice of God intervened in your life, and keep seeking Him. His voice will be our constant guide until we arrive in heaven, and with His help and direction we will accomplish His will for us on this earth.

Copyright © 2019 by Katy Kauffman, The Power to Make a Difference: Strategies, Insights, and Encouragement in Forty Short Bible Studies (Buford, Georgia: Lighthouse Bible Studies, 2019), 161-164. Adapted for CBN.com. Used with permission.