Simply and Quietly
Why do we make everything so complicated? Why do we go to God for the answer to a problem and expect the response to be something big, spectacular, and maybe even difficult? The Lord will always give us the answers, but we may miss them because we are looking for a big “aha!” moment. Most of the time, He will simply give us a thought, an inkling, or a feeling that we should do a certain thing. It’s not usually presented to us in grand fashion, but simply and quietly.
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. I Kings 19:11-12 (New International Version, NIV)
Yes, this concept has been taught before, but we often need a reminder about how God will speak to us. He is not usually flamboyant and loud in His dealings with us, although He can be. He will usually speak to us quietly. Why? So we have to focus on His voice and listen to Him intentionally. It takes less effort and concentration to listen to someone who is shouting than it does to listen to one who is whispering. And He may give us instructions that are not as glamorous as we hope. Often, His instructions are simple and maybe even humbling.
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy…. So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. II Kings 5:1, 9-14 (New International Version, NIV)
Naaman found out that God will never steer us wrong, even if what He is saying does not line up with our expectations. God is always speaking. He is directing, guiding and leading, usually simply and quietly. And His instructions may not appear magnificent, but they are always right. Listen for Him, trust Him, and obey. If you do, you will never go wrong.
