God's "Whispers"

 

Be still, and know that I am God...

Psalm 46:10a

A particular subject has been bouncing about in my mind for several days. I think most Christians have experienced special times with God when He seemed to speak so clearly to their spirits to the point of it being rather surprising. For a long time, I didn't quite know what to make of these experiences with God, but with the aging process, I believe many things spiritual in nature are becoming more and more clear.

What do I mean by “God's whispers?” Perhaps we've all experienced a stirring in our spirits... the voice of God that seems almost audible, but isn't. However, these stirrings seem very clear and pronounced in the way of some kind of instruction or even warning. We look back in review and see that such appears to be a word that could only be from God. I'm not talking about something kinky and crazy, but is a quiet thing occurring in the stillness of our own spirits.

For example, my friend Sandy is such a blessing in my life. I learn spiritual things from her all the time. Just today we were sharing some things spiritual in nature. She has in recent days gone through the heartbreaking loss of a dear friend. Although the friend had some health issues, her Home-going certainly didn't seem eminent. Not even two weeks ago, Sandy was at a hospital with another dear friend who was having surgery. After her friend was taken into surgery, while sitting with other friends in the waiting room, Sandy felt almost like she was being spoken to in a very quiet voice. The message was: “Go see Becky.” Becky was her ailing friend who was in a different hospital from where Sandy was at the time. Sandy couldn't quite grasp why there should be a feeling of urgency.

Sandy obeyed the prompting and went to the other hospital and found her friend, sitting up in bed doing some usual activities and for the most part looking well. Sandy had a wonderful visit with Becky and left feeling good that she had made the visit. I'm not sure if it was evening or the next day Sandy received a call that Becky had gone to Heaven. Some complication had crept up and Becky didn't survive it. Sandy said she was so glad she had listened to that prompting from the Lord. She would have forever regretted having not made that visit.

Many times in days past when I left our house to go to work, it wasn't unusual to feel that I should go a different route from my usual one. There were times when I learned I had avoided getting stranded behind a wreck site. Perhaps I could even have been at that site when the wreck occurred. How many times did I avoid any kind of mishap of some kind I didn't even know anything about. I have been prompted in my spirit, just out of the blue, to pray for someone. I didn't necessarily know what was going on in the person's life nor would I pry, but often learned later there had been a crisis of some kind for that individual.

When looking at God's voice in Scripture, no matter how it came to various people, there was one word I found to be associated with it a majority of the time and that word is OBEDIENCE. No matter when or how God chose to speak to people, He had an expectation of those He spoke to. He didn't want them second guessing, considering or thinking about His voice or His prompting. In every instance I saw, God expected action...instant obedience.

There are some things very important to think about when we look at this topic. One of the most important things I can think of is the importance of being honest. Hand in hand with this is one's relationship with the Lord. I've heard people speak of the Lord speaking to their hearts who are living in the depths of sin. They don't attend church, some curse God's name, while others are living in immorality (even declaring that God said it was okay). This I know about God...HE HATES SIN. God will not bless or condone it. In this process though, God gets blamed for a lot of what folks say He has said when He didn't speak to them at all.

God loves to speak to an individual who is in close relationship with Him. When friends walk together, they talk and share. God's desire is to have that kind of relationship with us. When we are people of the Word and of prayer, He feels He can entrust us with personal and more intimate instructions. We may not understand His leading at times, but He will never be wrong. He will never speak anything to you and me that goes against His Word. He will only lead in ways where He is glorified.

I wrote prior to this blog that we often use the phrase, “Just thinking about you.” I'm so grateful for promptings from the Lord when my friends have sensed that I needed a phone call. I've often received a call from a friend saying, “I was just thinkin' about you and thought I'd call.” Something (Someone) prompted her to call. Invariably it was a call I needed.

My suggestion is for us to be more alert to that still, small voice that often speaks to our spirits. If we are sensitive to our Lord as we should be, that voice may be His leading, often in ministering in the lives of other people. As Sandy and I sat talking about her visit with her friend, I shared some things in that same vein of thought I had experienced. She smiled through her tears and simply said, “It's God's whispers.” How precious when He chooses to whisper sweet somethings in our spiritual ears.

Dear Father, forgive the times I haven't been sensitive to your voice and the opportunities I've missed in following your bidding. Give me an ear to hear Your every word whether in Your written Word or in one of your special “whispers” into my spirit. In Jesus' name...Amen