Vital Signs: Friday, March 21, 2025

The Whisper of God: Come Closer

"Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””‭‭—1 Kings‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭(NKJV)‬‬

God has an outside voice, and He’s not afraid to use it. But when He wants to be heard—when what He has to say is too important to miss—He often speaks in a whisper, just above the absolute threshold of hearing.

My dictionary defines whisper as “speaking very softly using one’s breath without one’s vocal cords.” The use of breath instead of vocal cords is significant. Isn’t that how God created Adam? He whispered into the dust and named it Adam.

Adam was once a whisper. So were you. So was everything else. Whispering is typically employed for the sake of secrecy. No form of communication is more intimate.

So why does God so often speak in whispers? When someone speaks in a whisper, you have to get very close to hear. In fact, you have to put your ear near the person’s mouth. We lean toward a whisper, and that’s what God wants. The goal of hearing the heavenly Father’s voice isn’t just hearing His voice—it’s intimacy with Him. He speaks in a whisper because He wants to be as close to us as divinely possible! He loves us, and He likes us that much.

When our children were young, I would sometimes speak in a whisper so they would inch closer to me. That’s when I’d grab them and hug them. God plays the same trick on us. We want to hear what He has to say, but He wants us to know how much He loves us.

Aren’t you grateful for a gentle God? The Almighty could intimidate us with His outside voice, but He woos us with a whisper. And His whisper is the very breath of life.

There’s an old adage that those who dance are thought mad by those who hear not the music. That is certainly true of those who walk to the beat of God’s drum. When you take your cues from the Holy Spirit, you’ll do things that make people think you’re crazy. So be it. Obey the whisper and see what God does. Nothing has the potential to change your life like the whisper of God. Nothing will determine your destiny more than your ability to hear His still, small voice. That’s how God-sized dreams are birthed. That’s how miracles happen.

When was the last time you invited the Holy Spirit to speak to you? Are you actively inviting God to speak to you?