Reflection:  The God who speaks

 A still, small voice

Elijah experienced this ‘gentle whisper’ in 1 Kings 19:12. In Matthew 12:19-20, we find this prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus: “He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.”

The voice of Jesus is not loud or hysterical. He doesn’t whine or argue or cajole. He does not attempt to quarrel or plead with you, or even try to reason with you. In my experience he just speaks softly but firmly to your heart.

The voice of many waters

The voice of God is variously described as ‘a loud voice like a trumpet’ (Revelation 1:10), ‘like the sound of rushing waters’ (Revelation 1:15), ‘like the sound of a multitude’ (Daniel 10:6), and ‘like the tumult of an army’ (Ezekiel 1:24).

This aspect of the timbre of Christ’s voice emphasises its majesty and authority. How can you reconcile Christ’s voice as ‘a gentle whisper’ with his voice as ‘like the sound of rushing waters’? Aren’t these two descriptions contradictory?

No, they are not contradictory; in fact, they are complementary. Anyone who has heard the voice of God in their spirit knows that his voice is both soft and authoritative. It has the quality of ‘the voice of many waters’ because it brings with it the weight of the whole of God’s word, yet it is not overbearing in its delivery. It is both forceful and soft. It comes with a strength of conviction and resonates strongly with the Spirit of Christ within you. It is a ‘still, small voice’ that can still be heard amid the earthquake, the whirlwind, and the firestorm.

Dallas Willard describes the quality of Christ’s voice in this way: “There is a certain steady and calm force with which communications from God impact our soul, our innermost being, inclining us towards assent and even toward active compliance…We sense inwardly the immediate power of God’s voice. And once we have experienced it, we no longer wonder at the biblical phenomena of nature and spirits responding to this divine word.”

Prayer:  Lord, I want to hear your voice in my spirit, knowing that it carries the authority yet is gentle in its delivery. May I always be attuned to your still, small voice, even in the midst of the storms that surround me.