Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” 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 NKJV)
There are times when I know I haven’t listened to the Holy Spirit, either because I wasn’t really listening or because I just wanted to go my own way.
I remember when I graduated from university, and I got some crazy idea that I wanted to get my master’s degree in counseling. Folks, I’m about as fitted for counseling as a frog! But I thought this would be a good thing.
Well, the Lord kept dealing with me. He was telling me being a counselor was not my thing, and that this was not where I would really succeed. But I started the program anyway, because it was what I wanted. It didn’t take long, however, before I thought, “This is not my things!”
Have you ever heard a still, small voice, but chose to ignore it? Or it wasn’t strong enough and you weren’t listening enough to really get hold of it? I think sometimes we have to intentionally try to listen, to be still, and to tune other things out—including our own wants and desires.
Don’t wait for an earthquake! Listen for the Holy Spirit in the still, small voice.
Jesus, talk to me. I’m listening. And I declare that I truly want to follow You. Help me be attentive to the still, small voice.
