Hearing God's Voice in Stillness and Obedience

Devotional

Day 1: God's Gentle Whisper

In 1 Kings 19:12, Elijah encounters God not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a gentle whisper. This teaches us that God often communicates in subtle, quiet ways rather than through grandiose displays. In our noisy and distracted world, it is essential to intentionally create space for silence and reflection to hear God's voice. By seeking His presence in stillness, we can become more attuned to His guidance and direction in our lives. This practice requires discipline and a willingness to step away from the busyness of life to listen for God's gentle whisper.

[04:02]

1 Kings 19:12 (ESV): "And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper."

Reflection: How can you create intentional spaces for silence and reflection in your daily routine to better hear God's gentle whisper?

Day 2: Calming and Quieting the Soul

Psalm 131:2 speaks of calming and quieting the soul like a weaned child. This imagery emphasizes the importance of contentment, trust, and surrender in our relationship with God. In a world filled with anxiety and worry, we must learn to calm our souls and find peace in God's presence. This involves surrendering our desires and self-reliance, allowing us to be composed and free from the burdens of life. By trusting in God's goodness and faithfulness, we can experience a deep sense of peace and contentment.

[05:28]

Psalm 131:2 (ESV): "But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me."

Reflection: What steps can you take to calm and quiet your soul, finding contentment and trust in God's presence today?

Day 3: Cultivating Listening Habits

Developing a habit of listening to God's voice is essential for spiritual growth. This involves frequent repetition and creating a pattern of behavior that becomes nearly involuntary. By tuning into God's frequency, we can hear His guidance and direction for our lives. Just as Samuel learned to recognize God's call, we too must develop a habit of listening and responding to His guidance. This requires intentionality and a commitment to seeking God's voice regularly.

[21:17]

1 Samuel 3:10 (ESV): "And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant hears.'"

Reflection: What practical steps can you take to cultivate a habit of listening to God's voice in your daily life?

Day 4: Trust and Submission

Trusting in God means believing in His goodness and honesty, and that He will not harm us. It also involves submitting our will and understanding to His guidance. This surrender allows us to lean not on our own reasoning but on God's wisdom and direction. By trusting and submitting to God, we can experience His peace, guidance, and presence in greater measure. This requires a willingness to let go of our own plans and desires, trusting that God's ways are higher and better.

[25:43]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to God? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?

Day 5: Power of Obedience

Obeying God's still small voice, even in simple acts of faith, can have a significant impact. Whether it's inviting someone to church or offering a prayer, our obedience can lead to profound changes in the lives of others and in the kingdom of God. As we learn to listen and obey, we will experience God's peace, guidance, and presence in greater measure. Simple acts of faith, when done in obedience to God's voice, can have a ripple effect, touching the lives of many.

[27:07]

James 1:22 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

Reflection: What simple act of faith can you take today in obedience to God's still small voice? How might this act impact the lives of others and the kingdom of God?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we explored the profound significance of the "still small voice" of God, as illustrated in 1 Kings 19:12. Elijah, after experiencing a dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal, found himself fleeing in fear from Queen Jezebel. Despite expecting God to reveal Himself in a grandiose manner, Elijah encountered God in a gentle whisper. This narrative teaches us that while God is capable of mighty and demonstrative acts, He often chooses to communicate in subtle, quiet ways.

We also reflected on Psalm 131:2, where David speaks of calming and quieting his soul like a weaned child. This imagery emphasizes the importance of contentment, trust, and surrender in our relationship with God. In a world filled with noise and distractions, it is crucial to create intentional spaces for silence and reflection to hear God's voice.

We discussed the importance of cultivating habits that allow us to listen to God's voice. Just as Samuel learned to recognize God's call, we too must develop a habit of listening and responding to His guidance. This involves not only trusting in God's goodness and honesty but also submitting our will to His.

Finally, we were reminded of the power of obedience to God's still small voice. Simple acts of faith, like inviting someone to church or offering a prayer, can have a profound impact on the lives of others and the kingdom of God. As we learn to listen and obey, we will experience God's peace, guidance, and presence in greater measure.

###

Key Takeaways

1. reliance, allowing us to be composed and free from anxiety and worry. [05:28]
3. Cultivating Listening Habits: Developing a habit of listening to God's voice is essential. This involves frequent repetition and creating a pattern of behavior that becomes nearly involuntary. By tuning into God's frequency, we can hear His guidance and direction for our lives.

4. Trust and Submission: Trusting in God means believing in His goodness and honesty, and that He will not harm us. It also involves submitting our will and understanding to His guidance. This surrender allows us to lean not on our own reasoning but on God's wisdom and direction.

5. Power of Obedience: Obeying God's still small voice, even in simple acts of faith, can have a significant impact. Whether it's inviting someone to church or offering a prayer, our obedience can lead to profound changes in the lives of others and in the kingdom of God.

### [05:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:29] - Upcoming Events and Announcements
[04:02] - Introduction to the Still Small Voice
[05:28] - Calming and Quieting the Soul
[07:03] - Listening to God's Voice
[08:41] - Elijah's Victory and Fear
[10:13] - The Enemy's Attack After Triumph
[13:09] - Elijah's Journey to Mount Horeb
[14:29] - God's Gentle Whisper
[15:52] - Everyday Moments of Hearing God
[17:15] - Chasing the Spectacular vs. Steadiness
[18:31] - The Call for Steadiness
[19:55] - Trusting God in Challenging Seasons
[21:17] - Cultivating Listening Habits
[22:37] - Evaluating Our Habits
[24:11] - Creating Space for Silence and Reflection
[25:43] - Trust and Submission to God
[27:07] - The Power of Obedience
[28:23] - Responding to God's Gentle Whisper
[29:39] - Samuel's Obedience and Impact
[30:54] - The Holy Spirit Within Us
[32:36] - Finding a Place to Hear God's Voice
[34:07] - The Story of the Lost Pocket Watch
[35:27] - Invitation to Commit to Hearing God's Voice
[37:06] - Prayer of Repentance and Surrender

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What dramatic events did Elijah experience before hearing God's still small voice? ([04:02])
How does David describe his soul in Psalm 131:2, and what imagery does he use? ([05:28])
According to the sermon, what are some ways God communicates with us in our everyday lives? ([15:52])
What does Proverbs 3:5-6 instruct us to do in our relationship with God?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God chose to speak to Elijah in a gentle whisper rather than through the dramatic events he had just experienced? ([04:02])
How can the imagery of a weaned child in Psalm 131:2 help us understand the concept of contentment and trust in God? ([05:28])
What does it mean to "lean not on your own understanding" as stated in Proverbs 3:5-6, and how does this relate to hearing God's voice? ([25:43])
How does the sermon suggest we can cultivate a habit of listening to God's voice? ([21:17])

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you expected God to show up in a dramatic way but instead experienced His presence in a subtle manner. How did that impact your faith? ([04:02])
In what ways can you intentionally create space for silence and reflection in your daily routine to hear God's voice more clearly? ([14:29])
What are some practical steps you can take to calm and quiet your soul, similar to the imagery used in Psalm 131:2? ([05:28])
Identify one habit in your life that might be preventing you from hearing God's still small voice. What changes can you make to address this? ([22:37])
How can you practice trusting and submitting to God's guidance in a specific area of your life this week? ([25:43])
Think of a simple act of obedience you can perform this week, such as inviting someone to church or offering a prayer. How might this impact the lives of others and the kingdom of God? ([27:07])
What is one specific distraction in your life that you need to minimize to focus more on hearing God's voice? How will you address this distraction? ([14:29])

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "When we listen to and we respond to that still small voice, which is actually the voice of the Lord, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit within, the voice of Jesus, we're not just hearing words, but we're experiencing the presence in the power of God in our lives. Can somebody say amen? And so we need to learn to listen. Somebody shout listen." [06:30] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "How many know when a child is hungry, it's not pleasant? Amen, moms? And but when the child is weaned, there's a calmness, and it's just a resting. And David said he knew how to do it. He was able to do that before the Lord with his soul. And that is my prayer through this mini-series, that we would learn to calm and quiet our souls to hear his voice. To hear his voice. It means contentment and trust, surrendering our desires and desires to God." [05:28] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "When we respond to God's gentle whisper, we can experience his peace, his guidance. We can experience that assurance to know it like God actually used me. He flowed through me to help this situation. There's something very great, gracious about that. That's very, that's very satisfying. Can I say that? That's just that the Lord used, and God wants to do that through each and every one of you, if we'll slow down enough." [28:23] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "So in this moment, I think he was thinking, God, in this, in his distress. He expected God to reveal himself in a dramatic way. Maybe like, you know, God rode into the stones and, and, and, and we have the Ten Commandments, you know, and, and God's going to do something demonstrative. But then he shows up with this story in chapter 19 about the wind, the earthquake, and the fire. And instead, God comes to Elijah in a gentle whisper. And I think it's a word for us today." [13:09] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "So I just want to encourage you as a church body find a place where you have, you're able to come, inquire at your soul, to compose it, that be, wherever it may be. There's no legalistic, legal treadmill about all, whatever that is. Think about this week. Say, Lord, help me. I need to have a place. Just start off with five minutes. Five minutes. I want to encourage you in that. Amen, church." [32:36] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "Quickly, last week we said God's power is often manifested in small and steady actions and steps of faith. And we said this, that no action is too small, as we heard the testimony earlier, or too insignificant for his plan and how it can impact someone. And so when we listen to and we respond to that still small voice, which is actually the voice of the Lord, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit within, the voice of Jesus, we're not just hearing words, but we're experiencing the presence in the power of God in our lives." [06:30] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "This is a season in the body of Christ, watch this, where the call is for steadiness, not in the midst of the storm. Steadiness. Steadiness. Not crazy. People get in a tizzy. They make rash, knee-jerk decisions that turn out, in the long run, hurt them. It really does. I'm speaking from experience. Weather the storm, lean in, embrace it, move forward, and say, you know what? A brighter day is coming. A brighter day is coming. Maybe challenging in this season, but a brighter day is coming." [19:55] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "So another thing is, very quickly here, about recognizing this still small voice in our lives. We have to cultivate a habit of listening. And somebody say habit. Habit. And I just have this down. I thought, you know, let me just define habit. So for us to, and it's a recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition. A habit is an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary." [21:17] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "So trusting in God. That small voice. So having a place, having a place, a space where you can reflect. So Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, very familiar passage. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding, and all your ways submit to Him. So it's not just trusting, but there's a submitting. Did you hear that? There's a trusting, but there's a submitting of our will, our ways to Him." [25:43] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "And so my posture, here's a pastor, and this is a word for me, not for... This is a word for me. Okay, this is what I have to continue to embrace the correction of the Lord. It's this, 2 Timothy 2, and the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men and women, apt to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves. If God preadventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil. Who are taken captive by him at his will." [18:31] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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