The still small voice...

I think people in our modern day think it would be really strange for God to speak to them personally. After all, that really doesn't happen today because God doesn't have time for that....or does He? Some people think God only spoke to people in the Bible and that He doesn't really speak to us anymore. I don't think its an issue of God not speaking, I think the problem is ours for several reasons but here are three: 1) We really don't want to hear God speak. 2) We allow so much noise in our lives, radio, ipods, cell phones, tv, internet and all that stuff causes so much static we can't hear God. 3) We're looking for God to speak in some dramatic way that stops us in our tracks because of the show God puts on when He's trying to speak to us.
Well the Bible gives some insight on how God speaks in 1st Kings 19:11-12 when He spoke to one of His prophets named Elijah: "Then He said, 'Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice."
Two times this week, the Lord spoke to me in a still small voice as I was doing my pastor thing. Both times happened to be in my truck as I was driving to work and talking to the Lord without the radio on. Both times, God told me to take a detour. 1st detour was on Wednesday when the Lord told me to go see some people in the hospital. I obeyed and went and I was able to minister to 4 people each with very different needs. One lady was an elderly lady in her 80's who was languishing in a semi-comatose state. She knew the Lord Jesus as she had accepted His forgiveness by faith in Jesus Christ. Not knowing if she could hear me, I stood by her bed and prayed for God to be gracious to her and take her home to be with him peacefully since she had a personal relationship with Him. Heaven would be a great relief for this saint of God. I prayed the gospel message in my prayer for the benefit of the nurse doing her charts outside the door. Within two hours of my prayer, I heard God had answered my prayer and this dear lady had crossed the finish line into heaven. I was thankful I got to encourage her and be a witness for the Lord as she was in the home stretch of her earthly race. I didn't know when her appointment with death was, but God sure did and wanted me to be there.
Another guy I ministered to is an agnostic who is probably not long on this earth with lung cancer. I've been told he's very cold to preachers and probably wouldn't want to see me. Not only did he allow me to visit, he was pleased that I offered to pray for him and of course I prayed the Gospel then too. I offered to come back and see him again and he was open to that. There is no doubt the Lord wanted me to go to that hospital that day at that time.
Today, I was driving again and talking to the Lord about my new ministry in this community. I love cops since I used to be one and have been wanting to meet the local police chief. I heard the Lord say to me, "Go to the PD now and say hello." Well my first response was he's not going to see me since I have no appointment and he doesn't know me from Adam. I'll never get past the gate keeper at the front desk. The Lord said again, "Go to the PD now and say hello" so I did. Yep, within 2 minutes of walking in, the Chief of Police was escorting me to his office and I ended up spending an hour with him. He said he had an appointment cancel out on him so he was free to talk! We hit it off immediately and I now have several opportunities for ministry at my local PD because I was listening for "that still small voice." It wasn't in the miracle and big show, it was just a quiet nudging from God's Holy Spirit speaking to my heart to do what He wanted me to do. What a week of ministry, just listening for that still small voice; and it's not even Sunday yet! Are you listening?
From my little corner to yours....