Whisper hearers

When you’re with other people, how do you communicate with them?

Most of us would probably instinctively respond, “by listening and speaking”.  Verbal communication is almost always what comes to our minds first when considering how we communicate with one another.

But scientists tell us that 70-80% of all interpersonal communication is actually non-verbal (through our tone of voice, facial gestures, and body movements).  This means then that, whether we realize it or not (or like it or not), the significant majority of how we communicate with others and how they communicate with us is non-verbal.

How interesting that we “say” more with our tone, face, and body than we do with our actual words.  And in a certain sense, we “hear” more with our eyes and our right brains (which read others’ non-verbal cues) than we do with our ears and our left brains (which process their words).

I’m not a scientist, nor a communication expert, and so much of this blows my mind.  But it feels really significant to me that God designed us as His image bearers to be able to “say” and “hear” so much non-verbally.  For if the majority of what we communicate with fellow image bearers happens apart from hearing one another’s words with our ears, then it only makes sense that we’ve been created to hear from God without needing to hear His audible voice.

To say this doesn’t diminish God’s audible voice, for it has matchless worth.  He spoke the universe into existence.  He spoke verbally to Adam and Eve as He walked with them in the Garden.  The patriarchs heard God when He appeared to them.  God spoke to the prophets so that they could rightfully declare, “This is what the LORD says …”  Jesus was the Word of God, both in the way He lived as well the way He taught us.  And even today, there are times when the Spirit’s voice can be heard out loud – perhaps some of you have heard His voice with your own ears.  God does sometimes speaks audibly, and His voice changes everything.

But God’s voice is not always audible.  For example, He constantly speaks to us non-verbally through creation.  Psalm 19:1-4 says:

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.

Photo credit: Davide Cantelli (Unsplash)

Although God’s voice speaking through creation isn’t heard by our physical ears, it is nevertheless so clear and compelling that we are without excuse if we shut our hearts to what He’s saying (Romans 1:19-20).

God’s non-verbal voice is especially heard by His children through the ministry of His Holy Spirit.  Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”  God is always speaking to His kids.  It’s who He is!  It’s what He does!

God’s voice doesn’t need to be dramatic or audible to still be His voice.

I remember as a child that I wanted to hear from God.  But I was so afraid that I would miss it that I actually asked God to drop a rock out of the sky with a note attached to it, beginning, “Dear Don …”  That would be nice, huh?  I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person who’s ever wished for such direct communication.

And God can certainly do that.  If He could speak to Balaam through his donkey (Numbers 22:30), He could certainly speak to me audibly or via a rock with a hand-written note attached.  And sometimes He does speak in dramatic fashion.

But this is not the experience of most of us most of the time.  This is the point of 1 Kings 19:11-13:

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper (KJV: “still, small voice”). When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Sometimes God does speak in and through wind, earthquake, and fire.  He can and does speak audibly.  But most of the time, He speaks in gentle whispers.  And here’s the great news – He specifically designed us to hear those whispers.

So many of us are afraid that we’ll miss God’s gentle whispers.  Or worse yet, that God may be whispering to others, but not to us.  Dear friend, if you’re a believer in Jesus, let me reassure you: He’s whispering to you too.  Don’t believe me?  If not, let me ask you a few questions:

Have you ever …

1. Felt like God showed you something fresh in a passage of Scripture that you’ve read many times before?

2. Listened to a teacher and preacher and felt that he must have been reading your private journal and was speaking specifically to you?

3. Marveled at God’s beautiful creation and been overwhelmed by His glory and majesty?

4. Woken up in the middle of the night with a strong urge to pray for someone specific?

5. Experienced God’s clear guidance as you’ve prayed about a specific decision?

6. Had tears streaming down your face during worship as God touched something very deep within your soul?

7. Been under the powerful conviction of the Holy Spirit regarding a sin in your life?

8. Felt the Lord prompt you to share the gospel with someone or to encourage or help someone?

9. Sensed God reassuring you that He loves you, His dear, precious child?

10. Had a strong impression of what God was going to do before He did it?

11. Clearly felt God’s call on your life for a particular act of service or commitment?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then be encouraged: you are able to and in fact have been hearing God’s whispers to you!

Photo credit: Melissa Askew (Unsplash)

In part two of this post, we’ll talk about wisdom principles for discerning and attuning to God’s voice.  But until then, please know that He made you for this!  God created and saved you to hear His beautiful voice however He chooses to speak.  And even if there’s room for growth, you’re not starting from zero, because you’ve already been hearing Him.  So let’s take on the humble yet confident posture of the boy Samuel, and with expectant hearts say to our Heavenly Father, “Speak, for your servant is listening”.

Written by Don Reynard