I have a standing appointment I look forward to each week. After leaving this time of prayer, challenge, and personal growth, I was walking back to my vehicle. I heard something that I have heard a many times; the sweet melodic call of a mourning dove. You know the sound––that two-toned call that is sweet and peaceful. The sound that we have mimicked as kids, all the way into our adult years. A sound I absolutely love.
As I walked down the sidewalk, I paused and looked around to see if I could see my feathered friend I was hearing. There, perched up about 30 feet in the air on the pitched corner of the roof was one gray morning dove, faithfully calling in the noontime hour! I stood and watched for what seemed like an hour (I know it was only 2 minutes), but I was just at peace listening to this beautiful call!
All of a sudden, I heard a different call. A peaceful call. A heart call. A soul call. A call that only deep in the depths of me could I hear. I was hearing God speak to my soul. He was reminding me of where He speaks to me. In the book 1 Kings 19:11 & 12,
“11 Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.”
The gentle whisper! Did You Hear It?
Through all the noise of this life. The winds. The rock slides. The earthquakes. The fires. All the trials. All the pain. All the hard times. All the places of loss and devastation. The places where your dreams were broken. The place where you look at your own life to see lack and yearning. The mirror of reflection that sees not what God sees, but what you see. Through all of those places and times, He speaks in a gentle whisper!
Do you Here Him? Do you hear Him speaking to you today? You may said, “No!” I would encourage you today, that it is not because He is not speaking to you, or even about you. It is that the earplugs of this life are in too tight. Turn the noise down. Back away from the speakers of schedule, career, sports, life – and hear Him say what He says to you over and over…
Isaiah 43:
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. 4 Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I LOVE YOU.
Did you hear that? He, Jesus, the Son of God – Honors You! Loves You! Died for You!
Did You Hear It?