Still Small Voice

"And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice" - 1 Kings 19:11-12

This encounter between Elijah and God is one of my all time favorites. God had performed some amazing miracles through Elijah. He had just given him one of his greatest victories, yet, Elijah was depressed, hiding, and wished he was dead. Elijah complains to God, so, God tells Elijah to go wait for Him. He put him in time out.

Waiting can be extremely hard for us. We don't like waiting in traffic, for food at a restaurant, or for web pages to load. We want what we want, and we want it now. God was teaching Elijah the art of patience and solitude. It is easy to get distracted by the noise of this world. The device we carry in our back pocket is one of the greatest distractors ever invented. 

Elijah found God in a still small voice. In order to hear God's whisper, we must silence our minds and the world around us. I was 16 years old at FCA camp when I was taught to have a daily "quiet time" with God. During this time, I get away from the distractions, read scripture, and meditate on it. I spend a lot of time apologizing/confessing. I ask God to help me live the life He wants me to live, and I wait and listen to hear from Him. I believe that God primarily speaks to us through His Holy Scriptures. Read them. Listen to sermons about them online and in person. Put yourself in position to hear from Him.

I can attest that God does indeed still speak to us. A firefighter and his wife were having a discussion on their way to our church one Sunday morning. They were debating whether or not God still speaks to His people. The sermon that Sunday was exactly about the ways God speaks to us. I know God spoke to him that day. I'm also sure he got an "I told you so," too.

Are you struggling with your faith? Could you use a message from God? Turn off the devices, remove the distractions, quiet your mind, read the Holy Scriptures, and listen. "Be still and know that I am God," and wait for "His still small voice."

- Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain