Looking For A Big Move Of God? Listen For The Still Small Voice.

Take a close look.  Listen intently.

What’s going on in your life that may point to something big on the way?

We’re now a month into 2012 and many have been seeking God for an explosive year filled with power and passion. Our sincere desire is to see God move in our lives, in our congregations, and in our communities.  We want to see God do something big this year, so we spend time on our face, seeking His.

We seek God in the ways we know how – we fast, we pray, we read His word. We listen to sermons about what this year could hold.  We talk with our friends about what we hope will happen. Then we wait. Something has to happen. Something BIG.  We’re waiting in great expectation of the awesome things God will do.

We wait for the powerful wind of the Lord…

“… And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord;”

Some people are waiting for the strong wind of the Lord to blow! They long for it to blow so that the cold hearts of stone crumble before the power of the Lord. They want to see the mighty strongholds of stone broken to bits in the lives of friends and loved-ones. They want the sound of the mighty rushing wind to fill our sanctuaries. They want His presence to be undeniable.  So they wait….

We wait for the mighty earthquake…

“… but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake;”

Some are waiting for the power of the Lord to shake their spiritual prison. They want the doors to swing open, the shackles to unlatch, and the chains to fall to the ground. They long for the freedom the earthquake brings with it’s mighty shaking, causing destruction to sin’s captivity.  So they wait….

We wait for the fire…

“… but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire;”

Others are waiting for the fire. Some seek the refiner’s fire that purifies with each session. As their life is heated through trials, the impurities rise to the surface and are removed, making them that much more pure. Others wait for the consuming fire that burns the stubble, consuming the things in our life that are worthless, things we do for reasons other than God’s glory. Many also long for the fire of God to fall in a powerful way.  They want to become ignited, filled with fire, and full of the Spirit.  So they wait…

But do we listen for the whisper?

“… but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:11, 12 KJV)”

Are any of us waiting for the still small voice of God? When Elijah encountered God on the mountain, it was after the mighty wind, the strong earthquake, and the consuming fire that he actually heard God. And as mighty as God is, He spoke to Elijah in a quiet voice, one that Elijah had to be listening for.  His ear was tuned to hear the voice of his Creator.

Sometimes we’re guilty of praying and pouring our heart out before the Lord, but not waiting for His answer. We pray with passion, believing God hears us and will answer, then get up and wait for the big move of God.  We’re disappointed when we don’t see the rocks crumble, the ground shake, and the fire burn.  All the while, the Lord may be saying…

“These things will happen if you listen to what I want to share with you…”

But we will never hear him if we are not taking time to listen to the still small voice of our mighty, powerful God.

If we are willing to listen intently for God’s voice and to carefully look at our life, we may see small and seemingly insignificant things that the Lord is doing to increase our faith and our passion for Him. The small things He’s doing now may be preparing us for the big things that He has in store for us later.  So today, as you spend time with the Lord be sure and take time to listen.  Train your ear to hear His…

Still.  Small. Voice.

Photograph by CarbonNYC on Flickr.com