STILL SMALL VOICE

(An excerpt from my book Hearing God’s Voice Every Day!)

Many people talk about the “still small voice”. I know I have heard about God’s still small voice from the very beginning of my Christian walk over 40 years ago. Yes. I have been walking with God for over 40 years. Wow! I have to say that just hit me, on another level. And seeing it written down here on the page myself, it was like a mini revelation hit me in my spirit. That still small voice churning inside me leaving an impression of something I will research, look up and pray on it. I will share this with you, there is something about doing something for 40 days or 40 years in the Bible. Many things happened after 40 years or 40 days. I feel extremely excited and encouraged about this.

THE BACKGROUND

This still small voice that we talk about comes from a reference in the Bible. The event happened with Elijah and is recorded in 1 Kings 19.

Elijah had pronounced a drought on the land (1 Kings 17:1) that lasted three and a half years (James 5:17). He gave this pronouncement to King Ahab. King Ahab was one of the most wicked and evil kings of Israel that ever lived. He was married to Jezebel who was a worshipper and prophetess of Baal. She was evil, a witch, a false prophet, and a devil worshipper. After giving this pronouncement Elijah left for the Brook Cherith (1 Kings 17:3-7) where God miraculously fed him with bread and meat for about a year until the brook dried up. He then went to Zarephath which is in Sidon. Now, this may not seem like a big deal, except that Jezebel was Queen of the Sidonians. She was from Sidon and lived in Sidon. Here again, God miraculously provided for Elijah by means of a widow woman who did not have enough to feed her or her son, so they were about to eat their last meal of a small cake from a handful of flour and a little bit of oil before they died. (1 Kings 17:8-12) But God not only miraculously sustained Elijah, He also miraculously provided for this widow woman and her son for two and a half more years until the drought ended. (1 Kings 17:16-16). During Elijah’s stay with them, this woman’s son dies, and Elijah raises him from the dead. (1 Kings 17:17-24). I hope you are getting the picture here. Elijah was a mighty man of God. He hears from God and does what God says to him. He is experiencing and performing many miracles. These miracles are a confirmation stamp of his hearing from God. I mean he knows how to hear from God. Look, he heard from God and did what he had heard and then miracles happened. And he heard and did these things amid some scary and difficult situations.

He then challenges Ahab, Jezebel, and 450 of her false prophets of Baal as well as 400 false prophets of Asherah to a duel. (1 Kings 18:19). Ahab and Jezebel had sent out decrees everywhere and made it known that they were hunting for and wanting to kill Elijah. And anyone that knew where Elijah was and did not report it would be put to death. Jezebel had been hunting down all of God’s prophets and killing them, not just Elijah. As I read about this I can visualize and think of the movie series Star Wars. Do you remember how the evil emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader hunted down and killed all the Jedi? During this manhunt, Elijah shows himself to Ahab again (1 Kings 18:17). There is a great challenge between Elijah and 850 of Jezebel’s false prophets. In this showdown, the fire of God comes down from heaven and consumed the offering and all the water that Elijah had poured on it. Elijah then proceeds to execute with a sword all 850 of these false prophets (1 Kings 18:20-40). It is events like this that cause me to ask questions. This is no small feat. I mean he had to swing a sword at least 850 times. If he killed them each on the first attempt. And what about the rest? Did they all just stand there in line waiting their turn for Elijah to kill them? Did they resist at all? Something miraculous was happening for Elijah to be able to execute them all. Just imagine lifting your hand 850 times with nothing in it, let alone a heavy sword. After this event, Elijah tells Ahab, now the drought is over, and the heavy rain is coming. Ahab leaves and heads for Jezreel in his chariot – the King’s Chariot – the fastest chariot in the land – to beat the rain. God’s Spirit then comes upon Elijah and Elijah outruns on foot Ahab’s chariot to Jezreel, by the Spirit of the Lord. These events are chalked full of one miracle after another. Another sign attesting to Elijah hearing from God.

Ahab tells Jezebel about what happened, and Jezebel sends a message to Elijah that she will do the same to Elijah, that Elijah had done to her false prophets, by this same time the very next day. When Elijah heard this, he ran for his life. We next find Elijah hiding under a tree. He is feeling sorry for himself and asks God to take his life. Elijah then falls asleep. I have experienced this type of sorrow; I would actually classify it as depression. Where the desire to live, to do anything, is gone and all your mind and body want to do is escape in sleep. There is no energy left in your body. Next, an Angel shows up and wakes Elijah from his sleep and feeds him. Elijah eats what the Angel gives him and then Elijah falls back asleep. The Angel shows up another time and feeds Elijah again. After eating what the Angel fed him, Elijah falls back asleep again. A third time the Angel of the Lord wakes Elijah up and feeds him. This time the Angel tells him that his next journey is too great, and he will need the nourishment of this food being fed to him. He travels for 40 days and 40 nights on the strength of that food and ends up in a cave on Mount Horeb. (1 Kings 19:1-8).

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

In his flight from Jezebel Elijah tells God he is done. He “taps out”, or “throws in the towel” if you understand that analogy. In wrestling if a competitor no longer wants to continue, he taps the mat; in boxing, they can throw a towel in over the ropes; and when the referee sees this he will step in and end the fight. It is a sign of resignation or surrender. Elijah was giving up, he no longer wanted to fight in this battle. He asks God to take his life. Notice Elijah did not die that night, but he was done. I can relate to this thinking and feeling. Sometimes you just get tired of fighting. We are in a battle, a fight against the enemy of our soul. Our enemy is not constrained by the natural limitations of food, water, and sleep that we in our natural bodies are. God has given us a comforter to help us. The Holy Spirit. He helps us and strengthens us when we are weak and tired.

Elijah has just spent the night in this cave on Mount Horeb and the word of the LORD came to him saying “What are you doing here Elijah?”. Elijah starts to complain in modern terms “I love God and have been His faithful servant, but God’s people have forsaken their covenant with Him and burned the churches and now they want to kill me too.” Elijah’s response did not answer the question that God asked him. “What are you doing here?” Elijah was still caught up in feeling sorry for himself. Raise your hand if you have ever been there. I see that hand. If you are being honest with yourself your hand is raised just like mine is.

I find it interesting that during this exchange God is still speaking to Elijah and Elijah is still clearly hearing the Lord speak with him the whole time.

The next thing we see is God passing by the opening of the cave and as He does there are demonstrations or manifestations of God’s presence as the elements of nature respond with a great strong wind, which tore into the mountains (plural) and broke the rocks into pieces, followed by an earthquake and then a fire. (1 Kings 19:11-12) And it says that the Lord was not in the wind, He was not in the earthquake nor was He in the fire. But after all of these great manifestations, there was a still small voice. And when Elijah heard that still small voice, he wrapped his face to go see and hear more. The commentators tell us that this was the same mountain where Moses had covered his face when God’s presence came down on the mountain with wind, earthquake, and fire. (Ex 19:16) Suddenly a voice came to Elijah and said, “What are you doing here Elijah?” Elijah repeats his complaining still feeling sorry for himself as before.

I have come across many people that seem to think that if God spoke dramatically to them or something spectacular happened to get their attention then they would change. But we see just the opposite of that here. Even amid all these events, I mean right smack dab in the middle, Elijah was still stuck on feeling sorry for himself. Stuck on what the natural situation and circumstances were saying to him at the time.

You and I are no different from Elijah. Listen to what James, the brother of our Lord had to say about Elijah.

Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months. And [then] he prayed again and the heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops [as usual].
James 5:17-18 AMP

Did you catch that? Elijah was a human being and had a nature like we do. He had emotions, feelings affections and a constitution just like we do. I am not putting Elijah down in any way. I am merely trying to point out that although he did all these awesome things and God used him so mightily, and God spoke so dramatically to him, Elijah was just a human being like me and YOU. And even though we have feelings and emotions that hinder us or sidetrack us, they do not stop God from using us in the same way as he did Elijah.

It seems that Elijah was running from what God told him to do. God’s question to Elijah, “What are you doing here?’ And then God reiterates the question once He gets Elijah’s attention and Elijah begins to listen to that still small voice. This speaks to me. I know there have been times when things are dry, I mean I cannot seem to hear the still small voice at all. And when I reflect and look back those are times when I know I have not done the last thing God told me to do. If you seem stuck, try to think, and remember, what is the last thing you know for sure that God told you to do. The last thing you had a passion or burden for that you have yet to do. Go and do it. After you do, you will see the revelation begin to flow again. “The day will dawn, and the morning star will rise in your heart” as Peter said. (2 Peter 1:19). This is a visual depiction of how God’s Word, His illumination comes to us.

(An excerpt from my book Hearing God’s Voice Every Day!)

THE ROLE OF OUR CONSCIENCE

(An excerpt from my book Hearing God’s Voice Every Day!)

OUR BORN-AGAIN CONSCIENCE

the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:17

The world CANNOT receive the Holy Spirit! We the believers CAN and DO. This is an extremely important key. Holy Spirit is for believers, NOT THE WORLD. The world CANNOT receive Holy Spirit.

⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹ of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. ¹² I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:7-13

Holy Spirit does not convict believers of sin. He convicts the world of sin. This may be news to you. The world cannot receive Holy Spirit, only believers can, that is why He convicts them (the world) of sin, because they do not believe in Jesus. We do believe in Jesus, so we have Holy Spirit inside of us. I am aware that there are many in the church today who believe that Holy Spirit does convict believers of sin. But you will not find support for this thought and belief in the Bible. It is a religious tradition and man-made theology. I am not saying this in a judgmental way, but to remove guilt from your thinking. This teaching will hinder you in hearing from God because you will view the Holy Spirit differently and some even become afraid. The believer need not be afraid of Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is our Guide. He guides us. There is a difference.

I am not saying that believers are not convicted of wrongdoing. Believers are. It is just, that it is not Holy Spirit who is convicting believers. It’s our born-again conscience that convicts us. The Bible says that our own conscience convicts us of sin. If our conscience is soft and tender toward God and we are willing to listen and obey. Obey means to do what He asks. Once we accept this concept, it opens the door for us to trust and have confidence in our own born-again conscience. Remember the Bible tells us that He gives us a new heart and a new spirit. The old heart is taken away. The old man died with Christ. Once we are in Christ, we are one with Him. He has filled us with the fullness of His Spirit. He leads us by His Spirit that resides inside our spirit. Our spirit and His Spirit are one. (1 Corinthians 6:17). Because our spirit is one with His spirit, we can now trust that our spirit is safe to listen to and follow. Christ takes up residency inside of the believer by His Spirit, or Holy Spirit. We know that God does not dwell in sin, this is why the person must be born again. If Holy Spirit entered a non-born-again spirit, they would be destroyed. Jesus explains this principle to us in the analogy of the wineskins. He said you cannot put new wine in old wineskins, or both will be destroyed, but new wine must be put in new wineskins and then both will be preserved. (Luke 5:37-38). This analogy is referring to us needing to have a new spirit, being born again, born of the spirit (John 3:6) so that we can receive God’s spirit (New Wine) into our spirit (Wineskin). Since we have a brand new born-again spirit that comes from God and He has filled it with His Spirit, then suffice it to say, we can trust what our spirit is telling us. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord.

Proverbs 20:27
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.

This verse explains to us that God speaks to us, leads us, and guides us by illuminating our spirit.

Let’s look at some examples of the conscience convicting people from the scriptures.

Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. John 8:9

Notice how these individuals were convicted. They were convicted by their own conscience. And they left one by one. They were not convicted by Holy Spirit.

Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” Acts 23:1

Paul’s defense was that he lived in all good conscience. Why was this his defense? Paul was very well educated in the Scriptures and the Law. And there was no rebuttal to his defense. None! I can’t help but ask “Why?”. I think it is because they all knew that it was their own conscience that convicted them.

This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. Acts 24:16

Here again, Paul is describing how his conscience was pure before God. We know that Paul had killed Christians before his conversion. And he also admitted that he was chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Even though Paul was a chief sinner in the Law before coming to Christ, his born-again conscience, in Christ could now be trusted. He was now innocent and righteous through Christ.

who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) Romans 2:15

Our own conscience will bear witness with us. This is another way of saying confirmation. Our own conscience inside of us, will either accuse or convict us or it will exonerate and excuse us.

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, Romans 9:1

Part of Paul’s defense was that his own conscience bore witness within him. Paul also says this was in the Holy Spirit. This tells us that Holy Spirit bears witness with our conscience.

However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 1 Corinthians 8:7

Here Paul tells us that if our own conscience is weak, it won’t convict us when it should. Our conscience can even be so seared that it is scarred and not sensitive and then cannot be trusted. (1 Timothy 4:2)

²⁵ Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; ²⁶ for “the earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness.” ²⁷ If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. ²⁸ But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness.” ²⁹ “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? 1 Corinthians 10:25-29

Although Paul is specifically addressing being able to eat unclean foods, which was against the Jewish Law, he explains that our conscience can make us feel guilty even when we are innocent. He also gives insight that our conscience judges us and us alone. Our conscience doesn’t judge others. Paul said in another place “If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged” 1 Corinthians 11:31.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37

Here we see that the people were pricked in their heart after hearing the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their own consciences made them feel remorse and convicted them, and they asked what they should do. They repented and were born again.

There’s another phrase used that is a little different but similar. It is “cut to the heart”. The Greek word used here means to cut asunder. It is defined as; to get to the core issue. In the following verses we see that the people addressed heard a message that cut right down to the core. They were convicted by their own conscience through the message they heard. These though chose a different path than those above. These did not repent and change. They got angry. Their consciences were seared, and they had a predetermined mind to not listen to their consciences.

But when these words came to their ears, they were cut to the heart, and had a mind to put them to death. Acts 5:33

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Acts 7:51

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. Acts 7:54

A NEW WAY

but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. Romans 2:29

This verse may seem like it doesn’t belong here, but oh how it does. Paul is saying that circumcision now is no longer in the flesh but in the heart. This is our conscience. The word circumcision means to cut. And to enter into the Abrahamic covenant as a Jew, one needed to become circumcised in the foreskin of the flesh. This was the entrance, by blood, into the Abrahamic covenant. Now through Jesus Christ, we enter into a covenant with God by circumcising our hearts, not our flesh. The entrance into this covenant is still by blood and the cutting of human flesh. It is not by cutting our flesh and having our blood flow, it is by the offering made by Jesus Christ on the cross. His flesh was cut, and His blood flowed. So, we now enter in vicariously through faith. It is our heart that is cut or circumcised. This happens when our conscience feels the tug of conviction through the words being preached.(See Romans 4:9-12, 1 Timothy 1:5, Hebrews 10:22)

²⁰ For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 1 John 3:20-21

Once we are born again and have a new heart, a pure heart. A heart created in the image and likeness of God. A new spirit – His spirit is dwelling inside us. We then can trust and have confidence in the leading and guiding of our conscience. Our spirit man.

We must stay tender to God and listen and obey the leading of our conscience or recreated newly born-again spirit. If we do not do so, our conscience can become seared and then can no longer be trusted as a guide.

(An excerpt from my book Hearing God’s Voice Every Day!)