God of the small things

[tango]

I don't know what got me thinking about this recently, but looking at the life of Elijah I was intrigued to see something.

We see Elijah on Mount Carmel taking on the prophets of Baal, where God sent fire from heaven and Elijah then set about slaughtering the false prophets. But shortly after this we see him hiding in a cave, hunted by Queen Jezebel and in fear of his life. When he was hiding he saw a wind, earthquake and fire but God wasn't in any of those things - God was in the still small voice.

In a day that is obsessed with "bigger, bolder, louder" I find it quite remarkable that the man who literally saw fire from heaven consume his offering was then shown how God wasn't necessarily in the big bold things - God was there in the little things too.

Looking at modern day parallels it often seems to me that God speaks in a way that is relevant to the listener, even if it appears utterly coincidental to anyone else. If we try and analyse things from a scientific perspective we see things that pretty much get lost in the noise of day-to-day life and are really nothing noteworthy. Except, of course, to the person they were intended for.

We'll get the dancing angels in the sky at some point, if Revelation is to be believed. In the meantime we might get fire from heaven and we might get the still small voice. Interestingly, Jesus warned of false prophets who could perform great signs and wonders but never said they would copy that still small voice.

 

[Lamb]

Sometimes while I'm out hiking and I see all kinds of creatures (mostly insects LOL) I marvel at how they are formed and live their tiny lives. God created all those little things and they are marvelous!

 

[NewCreation435]

It has been my experience that God speaks more often in the whisper. we are called to walk by faith and trust HIm. new believers or the immature sometimes need the neon sign pointing the way, something very obvious. i think as you mature God expects for you to grow up in your ability to hear him also and there are less neon signs and more still small voices.

 

[tango]

Sometimes while I'm out hiking and I see all kinds of creatures (mostly insects LOL) I marvel at how they are formed and live their tiny lives. God created all those little things and they are marvelous!

It's remarkable how even the most seemingly insignificant of creatures serves a specific purpose. I've often marveled at the "natural engineering" behind something like a spider or a beetle.

 

[tango]

It has been my experience that God speaks more often in the whisper. we are called to walk by faith and trust HIm. new believers or the immature sometimes need the neon sign pointing the way, something very obvious. i think as you mature God expects for you to grow up in your ability to hear him also and there are less neon signs and more still small voices.

I've found a few times God has given me the kind of blaring klaxon kind of sign that I need to be doing something but most of the time, as you say, it's the kind of thing that is meaningful to me but probably wouldn't mean anything at all to someone else.

 

[Lamb]

It's remarkable how even the most seemingly insignificant of creatures serves a specific purpose. I've often marveled at the "natural engineering" behind something like a spider or a beetle.

I watched some bees out near my back deck earlier today. I noticed they were late sleepers because I was out early and they weren't but when I returned a couple hours later they were busy near the flowers. Then they came near my chairs I was putting oil on and I told them that they shouldn't do that. So then they left my chairs alone

 

[NewCreation435]

I've found a few times God has given me the kind of blaring klaxon kind of sign that I need to be doing something but most of the time, as you say, it's the kind of thing that is meaningful to me but probably wouldn't mean anything at all to someone else.

I've only had two or three times when I felt like God was impressing on me a particular word or phrase and it was usually in order to encourage me and strengthen me for the days ahead. I can remember one time I saw a big sign that said "November" on it. When I asked the Lord what that meant he said it would be a big month for me. I got a interview that November for a job that I ended up taking and my daughter was born November 1.
The other time was when I was working as a chaplain and waiting for another ministry door to open. I was really tired of where I was and a lot of in fighting going on due to the management company. It was winter and the Lord told me that before the trees started to bud I would be on to my next position. I was let go on February 10 of that year and started almost immediately talking to a church where I ended up serving 2 years and 8 months