Ministry 

A Gentle Whisper

We live in a very noisy world. It can seem like we are constantly surrounded by sound of one kind or another. The clamour of people’s voices, traffic or our digital devices can mean that it is often difficult to find a moment of peace or quiet in our lives. 

There is a story in the Bible about an Old Testament prophet called Elijah who was going through a particularly difficult time in his life (see 1 Kings 19:3-12). He went to a cave on a mountain where he hid from people who wanted to kill him for faithfully serving God. While Elijah was in the cave, he experienced a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire, followed by ‘a gentle whisper’ (verse 12 NLT). The story tells us that God wasn’t in the noise of the windstorm, earthquake or fire, but God spoke to Elijah in the gentle whisper. 

I wonder sometimes if we find it hard to hear God speak to us because our lives are full of so much noise. Like the sounds of a windstorm, earthquake or fire, the big, dramatic noises which surround us can drown out God’s voice and make it impossible to hear what God might be saying to us. When we are quiet, however, we have a better chance of hearing God speak words of grace, forgiveness, love and life to us. 

It can be to find space for silence when we are juggling families, work and other things in our lives. 

As we begin school holidays, I encourage you to think about finding just 5 minutes each day to turn off the noise, find a quiet place, maybe read your Bible, and listen for God’s gentle whisper. 

God’s blessings to you and your family, 

Pastor Eugene