Did you hear that?

Hear God
Have you ever tried to hear God speak to you? Have you ever been upset or disappointed that you don’t hear God speaking to you? Yeah, me too. Awhile back I read this passage in 1 Kings 19:

11 The LORD said, "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 mountains 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. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 
      Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

God was not in the wind, God was not in the earthquake, and God was not in the fire, But after all this, came a “gentle whisper” and Elijah heard it. And Elijah responded by covering his face. Ok I think we are all a little like Elijah here. God was moving in his life but he let other things distract him. God was speaking to him but he couldn’t distinguish God voice. After all, who told Elijah to “Go out and stand on the mountain”? God! If God tells you to stand on the mountain...THEN DO IT, don’t go in a cave! (he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave). You see God was talking and instructing him the whole time, even before the storm, earthquake, fire and even before the gentle whisper. We look for things we already have. God is talking to you. He has put his word in your heart and he has put it in your hand (the Bible). sometimes I think we can get caught up in looking for deeper meaning or hidden messages. When God just wants us to take it for face value. What he says to us IS enough.

If and when you feel you are not getting messages from God or hearing his voice, here are a few questions you can ask yourself:
If I don’t hear God, what DO i hear?
What are the distractions in my life that cloud or muffle Gods voice?
Do I listen enough to even recognize and understand Gods voice?
Do I know his language?
Has God already spoken to me about something that I don’t want to do?
Is he waiting on me to take the next step?
If and when I hear from God, will I obey?
God didn’t walk with us on the garden not to be heard (Gen 3:8)
God didn’t put his word in our heart not to be heard (Deut 30:14)
God didn’t give us 66 books not to be heard (2 Timothy 3:16)
God didn’t send us his Holy Spirit not to be heard (Mark 13:11,Luke 12:12)
It seems to me that God has made a lot of effort, to be heard! So why are we trying so hard to hear what is all around us? Stop looking volume and you will hear the clarity.