Psalm 29:3-9
The voice of the LORD echoes over the oceans.
The glorious LORD God thunders above the roar of the raging sea, and his voice is mighty and marvelous. The voice of the LORD destroys the cedar trees; the LORD shatters cedars on Mount Lebanon. God makes Mount Lebanon skip like a calf and Mount Hermon jump like a wild ox. The voice of the LORD makes lightning flash and the desert tremble. And because of the LORD, the desert near Kadesh shivers and shakes. The voice of the LORD makes deer give birth before their time. Forests are stripped of leaves, and the temple is filled with shouts of praise.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
During our last snowstorm, my husband and I took a long hike. It was snowing hard, and there were several inches of snow already covering the landscape. We hiked Mossy Bluff Trail to the Visitor Center near our house, and as we stood next to the highway, my husband said, “It’s so quiet.” Scarcely a car went by on the slick, snow-packed highway. We walked back home in the silence. But all around us, we could “hear” God.
God’s voice did not thunder in the snowfall… it did not flash and tremble. But God Almighty was evident in every snowflake… the majesty of the rocky crags covered in giant icicles along the trail spoke of His artistry… and His power. The thick powdery snow that covered everything in sight like a massive blanket spoke of God’s protection and care for each of us.
The hungry birds at our backyard feeder reminded us that God watches over even the smallest of His creatures. The snug, warm safety of our house when we returned was proof that God has met all of our needs.
We don’t always “hear” from God with a crash of thunder or a flash of lightning. He doesn’t always speak in shivers and shakes and roaring seas (although I’m pretty sure I heard Him in the gurgling of the water in the creek that ran under a footbridge we crossed on the trail!). The trouble we humans have is that we are not always listening! We fail to recognize God’s voice much of the time… until he has to “shout” to get our attention!
We need to dial back the “white noise” in our lives – the distractions that keep us from hearing from God – and pay closer attention. We need to be looking and listening for God’s voice – whether in the form of a thunderstorm, an earthquake, or even a snowfall. God may speak with great force… but so often, He simply whispers. Will you hear Him? Are you listening closely enough?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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