A Still Small Voice

“And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:12.

God reveals his awesome creative abilities in a myriad of forms; earthquakes, storms, oceans, trees and mountains, to name just a few.  Daily I marvel at delicate seed pods, blazing sunsets and grazing deer, his beauty surrounds us.  But, there are times when I, like Elijah in this passage,  long to really see God.  Elijah had been feeling depressed, so God decided to show himself to the weary prophet.  He almost missed it, wrongly assuming that God was in the big showy stuff.

 I had an opportunity, recently, to hear that still small voice, by witnessing a truly intimate glimpse of God.  After a church service, a young pastor called all the children, 19 and younger, to the front of the sanctuary.  He had just taught on our responsibility, as adults/parents, in helping  the next generation seek out and establish personal relationships with God, so I assumed we would all stand and pray for them.  God had another plan!  The parents were called forward,  the fathers positioning themselves facing their child, while the mothers stood behind.  The pastor then asked the fathers to pray a blessing over their child.  One father, in particular, held my rapt attention.  As he began to pray, guided by the Holy Spirit, he embraced his pre-teen daughter placing his hand protectively behind her head, as one would lovingly support an infant’s.  I never heard a word of the prayer, but his tear streaked face, and nurturing posture told the story.

When is the last time you prayed for your child like that?  God, in that still small voice, whispered to me, “I am your father, and this is how much I love and long to bless you”.  If you’ve never experienced this revealing look at God, ask him to show you, you will never be the same.