The Still, Small Voice

Elijah after spending time with God on the mountaintop thought he heard God in the wind, earthquake, and fire.  But none of these contained God.  Finally, a still, small whisper came, and Elijah came out of his cave to speak with his Maker.

Similarly, Jesus said, the way to destruction is broad and many walk on it, but the way to life is narrow, and few find it.  The secret to the kingdom is coming as a child into the lap of the father.

But we miss it, because we don't want to come this way.  We think that the way is by fastings, and long periods of prayer, and abstaining from certain besetting sins, and reading our Bible daily.  We think that if we just lift our hearts up enough to God, we will be filled by Him.

I know because I tried again recently, to reach God.  For 24 hours I fasted, and for 11 of those I prayed, sang, read the Bible and Christian books, and prayed some more.  But nothing worked.  In frustration I slammed my car keys to the ground and used some unprintable words.  So angry!  Here I was, coming to God, and where was he?  Why could I not get through?  Why the barrier?  I was trying to come as a child, wasn't I?

When I woke up in the morning, I remembered back to the last prayer retreat I had had, a year ago.  There, inspired by Paul Miller's book A Praying Life, I had tried approaching God just as I was, but through the blood of Christ.  I thought, always when I can't reach God, something is wrong with me; God never changes.  So, I decided the fault was with me, and the God was close, after all.  And I quieted my heart, and waited, brought myself under the blood of Jesus, and just asked, like a child for his Daddy, for God to hear.  And, in the quiet and stillness and simplicity, I felt the touch and heard the voice of God.  All my strivings and tryings to be good enough did not work.  The only access to the Father was through his Son, as the song says, "Just as I am."

"Lay your deadly doings down, down at Jesus' feet, and stand in Him, in Him alone, gloriously complete."

If anyone has been trying to get to God this year and feels hopelessly far, or cut off, just come, come as you are.  That includes those of you who don't know Him, as well as those of you who do.  If you have never accepted Jesus, come.  Repent of your sins, and ask for his forgiveness through Jesus.  Then enjoy your Daddy's embrace, then and forever.

Those of you who know Jesus already, lay your deadly doing down.  Still your heart, under the blood, and come, come as you are.  God has not moved; we have.