Deuteronomy 4:29 – But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. (NIV)

Midge, my fourteen-year-old miniature long-haired dachshund, went through a long period of depression and sorrow a few years ago after she lost her hearing. She could no longer hear my voice. She didn't know what I wanted. She was missing out on so much of what was happening around her. Day by day, she began to withdraw more and more. My heart went out to her. I didn't know what to do, until one day, I decided to try to teach her a new language: sign language. This wasn't easy, though, as her eyesight was also beginning to deteriorate. Still, I kept at it. One year and then another, but still she didn't respond. And then, one day, it all paid off. The light came on, and she suddenly realized that she could hear my voice with her eyes. Her joy and excitement were palpable, and since then, there have been big changes, for Midge watches me diligently through every waking moment and is thus able once again to hear.

I have discovered that hearing the Lord's voice also requires a whole new language, different from the language of this world.

1 Kings 19:11-12 – The Lord said [to Elijah], "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountain apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (NIV)

The world speaks to us in one way, but God speaks to us in another. I like to call it "heart language", for it is that still, quiet voice within. It is the one that I have had to learn to listen for, not with my ears, but with all my heart and all my soul. It is that whisper that speaks louder than a shout when I am in tune with it, and it brings big changes, brightening up my world in a whole new way. It leads me from darkness into light, chaos into order, anxiety into peace. It is most definitely a language well worth learning for all those who truly want to hear.

Prayer: Father God, thank You that we can hear Your voice amidst the deafening sounds of the world, which seeks our constant attention. We ask, in Christ's name, that You would still the activity of our ever-active minds this day, that we might look for You with all our heart and with all our soul, and hear Your voice. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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