“Let us be silent, so that we may hear the whisper of God.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Your whispers in the night give me wisdom showing me what to do next.” – Psalm 16:7 TPT

I wonder how many people have made an honest attempt to look for God’s presence in their life and never quite found Him.  How many of us have asked God for a miraculous sign or irrefutable evidence that He exists, that He cares about what is happening in our life, and the miracle never materialized, or the visible evidence was elusive?

In the many years I have spent trying to learn more about God, who He is, and what He stands for, there is one thing I discovered that I wasn’t expecting:  God’s humble, kind nature and the tremendous love that can be found within that gentleness.

When you think about the characteristics of God, Almighty, All-Knowing, and Sovereign, adjectives like “gentleness, kindness and humility” don’t seem to match those characteristics very well.  How can an all-powerful God be gentle?  How can you be totally in control of all things yet humble?  How can you know everything about everyone and still be merciful and kind?

Because of God’s vast and unfathomable nature, we tend to think of Him only in large terms, but if we simply look for God in the big things of life, we can miss Him altogether.

I have found in my own personal experience that God is discreet, not obtrusive – easily found in quietness, not in the loud and flamboyant – communicating in gentle whispers, not brash, inconsiderate tones.

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him.  And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain.  It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind.  After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.  After the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.  A voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” – 1 Kings 19: 11-13 NLT

I love this story of Elijah, because it’s a great example of God’s kindness, gentleness, and humble nature.  God wasn’t found in the demonstrative wind or the unrestrained earthquake and fire, but in a soft, gentle whisper 🙂

God reveals His humble, thoughtful nature in His question to Elijah:  “What are you doing here, Elijah?”…. as if a Sovereign, Omniscient God didn’t already know the answer to that question.   He humbled Himself in order to have dialogue and a relationship with Elijah.

Think about this humble, kind, and gentle nature.  Now ask yourself how God is revealing Himself to you within your own life – honoring your individuality, your choices, and quietly showing you His kindness and mercy. 

Have you been looking for God’s humble, behind-the-scenes direction in your life or have you been waiting for the obvious wake-up call or slap across the face?  Are you waiting for the loud, obvious voice or are you spending quiet time listening for the gentle whisper?

As I mentioned earlier, there is so much love that can be seen in God’s softness and humility!  Think if God revealed Himself to us in all His glory and honor.  Quite frankly, we would be overwhelmed and consumed by it – leaving us irrelevant and unimportant.  God loves us so much that He humbles Himself – revealing Himself to us in tiny, unobtrusive ways in order to protect our individuality and to nurture a true relationship with us!

God is so kind, speaking to us in softness and gentle whispers – never overruling, butting in, or openly demanding.  In humility, He waits for us to seek His voice – to spend quiet time listening for His direction and guidance.  In fact, He honors our individuality so much, He allows us to make our own mistakes – yet graciously and readily forgives us when we fail.

I find it funny how even in the large and obvious aspects of our world, God is quietly at work behind the scenes.  Nothing speaks louder of God’s existence than His creation.  How can you look at the sun, moon, and stars and not see an all-powerful God?  Yet quietly the sun rises every morning.  Without loud pronouncement, the rains fall to nourish and provide life here.  Without any kind of grand declaration, the seasons change every year without interruption.  God quietly, humbly, and mercifully keeps this world turning – often without our acknowledgement or thanks.

If you’re looking for visible evidence of God’s presence in your life right now, waiting for His intervention, for His unmistakable direction, or for an irrefutable sign that He cares for you and truly exists, I’m urging you to think about God differently then you ever have before.

Think about a humble God who honors your individuality – a God who speaks in gentle whispers and not in brash language or harsh demands.  Think about a humble God who is quietly and constantly at work behind the scenes in your life and in this world of ours – desiring what is best for everyone.

Think about a loving God who diminishes Himself so we can connect with Him – developing a personal, unique relationship unlike any we will experience in this life.

When you think about such a gentle, kind, loving God, you begin to look for Him and reach out to Him differently.  Prayer takes on a whole new meaning!  Because you understand His true nature, you begin seeing Him in places you never thought about before. Most importantly, you get excited about spending quiet time with Him – learning to listen for His gentle whisper 🙂

Thank you God for being the kind of God you are!  Help us to learn from your kindness, your gentleness, and your humility.