1 Kings 19:11b-12 – 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. (NKJV)

Many people may think that God could only manifest Himself directly in grand gestures like earthquakes or fire. There have been numerous pivotal times in my life when I have asked God for a sign. Several times, God has spoken directly to me. Once it was through the display of wildlife in such a specific way that the sign could only have come from God. Another time, a radio that was turned off, randomly came to life, playing a song that had special meaning to me. Then, there was the time when I was talking to God about why I felt distant from Him, and I heard Him say, "You are doing it wrong!" I would not be able to describe God's voice, but I heard Him as clearly as though I were on my phone. In watching sermons on television, I have also heard reports of viewers who were living apart from Christ. They were watching a television sermon and found that every channel contained the same sermon! As a result of their watching that sermon, their lives became miraculously converted.

Have you ever found yourself in a challenging situation, when suddenly the phone rings? A friend, whom you have not heard from in months is calling, just to say, "Hello" and "I love you." What about a chance encounter with a complete stranger who, in a moment, peers into your soul and delivers a message that you needed to hear? Does this sound familiar? You are reading the gospels, when suddenly the Bible slips out of your hand. When you glance down, the Bible is open to a verse in the Proverbs which you badly needed to hear. How about a dream that you had, in which there was a message either for you or someone close to you, that seems oddly like a telephone call from God?

Today, I was lamenting about a situation in which I deemed that I had been wronged. I had written a text to the individual. After receiving several messages saying, "This message cannot be sent," I figured out that God was asking me not to send the text. Then, I went out for a walk. I was trying to focus on the topic that I thought God wanted me to write about. I had my water bottle in my hand, and I continued to focus on this irritating issue. Suddenly, my water bottle jumped out of my hand and landed with a loud bang on the cement. That's weird, I thought, as I continued to stew. Hmm. What do You want me to write about, God? The water bottle process was repeated not once, not twice, not three times, but four times more. Now, I must point out that I do not have any issues that would randomly cause me to drop my water bottle. Finally, I heard God say, "Girl, let it go!" This devotional was born.

If you feel like you have never or not recently heard God's voice, I would challenge you to ask yourself, "Am I restricting God's voice, or am I listening for the still small voice that may come from unexpected and unconventional places?"

Prayer: Dear God of so many blessings, You talk to us in so many ways. How frustrated You must sometimes be with us when are unable or unwilling to recognize Your voice in unfamiliar people and places. Please help us, Lord, truly to search with our whole being for Your voice and direction in our lives. Amen.

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About the author:

Orlanda Drebit <orlandadrebit@hotmail.com>
Manitou Beach, Saskatchewan, Canada
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