“I don’t hear well, so you are going to have to shout,” he said as he slowly followed behind me, pushing his walker.
I turned around with a smile to respond, “I have two kids, I am used to yelling!”
We walked into the examination room and he sat down in the chair with his torso bent forward and his head hanging down. His wife sat next to me and shared about his recent symptoms that brought him to my physical therapy clinic.
I put my laptop on the desk and scooted my stool close to him. “Can you kick your right leg out?” He didn’t even look up, so I repeated myself louder as I tapped on his right thigh gently.
He looked up. “What do you want me to do?” I repeated my instruction as I kicked my leg out to show him exactly what I wanted. He watched me and then shook his head, “I can’t understand. I’m sorry!”
His wife who was sitting on the other side of the room said, “Hon, she wants you to kick that right leg out” and he immediately did it. The rest of the examination went the same way. What was interesting is that she never leaned in or raised her voice, yet he heard her clearly. I was inches away from him, shouting, but he couldn’t hear me.
They had been married for over 50 years; he knew her voice. Even when old age deafened him to all the noise of the world, it couldn’t silence the voice of his lover. He had heard her voice in all tones and at all volumes, over all the years. It was as familiar to him as his own voice, so she didn’t need to yell. Her whisper was sufficient.
I have been a believer for over 25 years and I have learned, for the most part, to discern the voice of Jesus. But last year was perhaps one of the most challenging seasons of my life and I felt as if God was silent. I could feel Him with me, using me to minister to strangers at conferences as I would speak, and even heal my own body miraculously as I prayed. But what was strange to me is that in the one area I was desperate to hear His direction and waited for His provision, He seemed so silent.
Now as I stand in a new year and look back, I see that I was only aware of God in the obvious and big moments and miracles. But He was training me to hear His whispers. He was teaching me like He taught the prophet Elijah: sometimes God shows up in the mighty winds, earthquakes, and fires, but He can also show up in the gentle whispers too (1 Kings 19:11-13). Perhaps this was the moment that Elijah felt the lowest, and God came in the quietest — as an intimate friend with a whisper. God showed Elijah that He is powerful but He is also personal.
I have learned that often what we perceive as the silence of God is actually His still small voice, an intimate whisper.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27 ESV).
There is a level of intimacy you reach in some relationships where a whisper or a wink is enough. You are connected so deeply that your communication style changes. You don’t have to be physically close in proximity to sense the other person’s emotions. You know them as much as you know yourself.
Jesus invites us to this kind of intimate relationship, where we know His heart and He knows ours.
He knows our sighs and frustrations.
He knows the fear and anxiety that is plaguing us.
He knows our dreams and our plans for our children.
He knows our doubts and desire to believe.
Friend, if you are in a season where you think God is silent I want to encourage you with this thought: God may not be yelling; He could be whispering. Don’t let the struggles of this life steal the voice of Love. You haven’t lost your ability to hear Him well, you may have just entered a new level of intimacy with God. God is inviting you to know Him, not simply in the big moments but in the seasons of quiet when life is hard. He wants you to know that He is powerful and He is personal. Listen for His sweet, intimate whispers today.
Do you actually hear Gods voice audibly….whether a whisper or loud?
I hear Him often as a deep impression on my heart, sometimes a verse that the Holy Spirit brings to mind or a thought/word He keeps showing me in prayer or worship.
Simi, your words echo an insight God is currently impressing on me! So important to learn & know His voice over all the other clamor of voices competing for our attention. Give us discerning ears Lord! Blessings (((0)))
Amen! I am so glad to hear that!!
I struggle with this. I try to listen to God’s voice but I never seem to hear it. I don’t know what I am listening for.
God’s word comes in diff words to diff people during prayer, worship or reflection. It will clarify, bring peace and always confirm His written Word.
This is a new thought for me. If you are physically close to another person, they don’t need to speak loudly for you to hear them. If we draw close to God and rest in Him perhaps we will hear His loving whisper, like a child the arms of her father. I am listening for His still, small voice.
Yes! The closer we are physically and relationally the less we need to yell!
I love this! Thank You! I just have to be still enough in my soul to hear him! Yes That it! I need Soul Stillness!
“I just have to be still enough in my soul to hear him” – I really liked this Lisa, thanks for the different perspective!
Soul stillness- yes, so challenging in our world of distractions.
“Soul Stillness”
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Such a beautiful place to be!
AMEN!
Hope you hear Him today, friend!
To hear a whisper requires I be close to that person! Jesus
said, “Come to me…”. Living in a ‘close to’ relationship with
Him will result in hearing His whispers!
Yes, let’s draw nearer and lean closer to Jesus!
Thank you for this Simi! I so desperately need to know that I’m not alone.
We have a God who doesn’t just on a throne in heaven far away, but one who as made His home inside our hearts! We are never alone, even when it feels like it- praise God!
i love this! it’s exactly what i needed to hear. it’s a beautiful and timely reminder that quiet and intimacy are the best ways for me to hear.
Oh my goodness Simi \0/ “God may not be yelling; He could be whispering”… “the silence of God is actually His still small voice, an intimate whisper “.
Thank you for such a beautiful reminder.
Yesterday I went to the dentist to have temporary crowns removed and permanent ones put on. I am so phobicly afraid of the dentist that I had to take Halcion just to get there. To say it didn’t go well is a massive understatement. First the assistant says, “I’m just going to pop these temp off before the doctor comes.” So she grabs a fancy pair of pliers and starts pulling, then yanking on the first tooth. Finally she says, ” Well! looks like this one is going to be stubborn. Let’s just get this other one. Same results. By now I am whimpering and almost pulling the arms off the chair. Doctor comes in and tried to pull them off – no luck – so she starts grinding. I am crying and almost coming out of the chair. “Both of these have had root canals. This shouldn’t be a problem but I want you to be comfortable so let’s get you numb.” After numbing and lots of grinding, she’s ready to put the perms on — she’s not happy with color and then the first one DOESN’T FIT!!!! So new molds, new temps, and I have to go back and DO IT AGAIN in a few days. I am so terrorized I can’t bear the thoughts. And no my dentist DOESN’T do sedation. Why Lord, why???!!
I am sorry! Thanks for sharing!
Simi, thank you for reminding us to be still & trust that we will hear His voice. I felt the warm embrace of Jesus surrounding me earlier today as I meditated on this verse: “With every sun’s rising, surprise us with Your love, satisfy us with Your kindness. Then we will sing with joy and celebrate every day we are alive.” Psalm 90: 14. The Voice.
I am learning to expect to hear from Jesus as I quiet my own heart & trust that He will satisfy every need. Everyone’s sunrise may be different due to where they live & how God is using our lives. No matter what adversity may come our way, we truly can trust Him to keep our feet from slipping. May His lovingkindness nourish & quench your soul as you minister to so many.
So beautiful! Amen!!
I’m temporarily doing a version of the job I left almost a year ago. I’m tired and frustrated. Just as I sat down to read this post, it came to me. God saying why I left this job behind a year ago….and I really shouldn’t go back even if I miss the people.
Kim- friend, gosh I resonate with your story. I left my job last yr bc of the higher leadership but missed my coworkers. One day I visited and I felt the Holy Spirit say, “don’t go back!” And I came home and threw out all my uniforms,bc I knew I would be tempted to go back to the familiar and I was worth far too much to be there anymore!
I am so glad He spoke to you today!
Thank you for the beautiful story of the elderly couple. To see love like that these days seems so rare and I feel it’s one of the many ways God shows me his amazing glory!
Yesss! Agreed!!
Thank you for this. I feel so alone in this season. I need to still my mind and thoughts so that I can hear God’s whisper.
Yess! Take time to hear Him, because He is with you, friend!
This is so beautiful. I especially love the encouragement that God’s silence may be his whisper inviting us into deeper intimacy. Thank you!
He is never silent in our seasons of hard and grief. He just comes in closer.
Simi,
Fall of 2022 I was going through a dark time. Prayer was inconsistent. God didn’t seem to be answering my prayers. Oh but he was. I wanted one answer & He had bigger & better plans for me. My hope was to leave the company & go work somewhere else not doing the same work. Jesus was gently telling me to be patient. Instead of leaving the company He allowed another unit (hospital) to be opened & I got to be the clerical. No longer would I be doing my old job, but now get to use my sills & abilities. Like you said we have to silence the noise in our brains to hear His whispers.
Blessings 🙂
Yes, quiet all the other noises and tune into His voice- that is the hard part for most of us!