ENTERING INTO HIS REST: THE STILL SMALL VOICE

Dear Friend,

There is rest in His voice.....

1 Kings 19:11-13King James Version (KJV)

11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks 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.13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou hear, Elijah?

We know that Elijah was a man that walked with God, but how? How did He learn to hear God’s voice above his own, Elijah understood “the rest. There is a promise in the “rest” of God. Actually, there are several promises in the “rest” of God. However, I believe most of us miss them, because we don’t know how to enter “his rest”. We still are resisting “the rest, we keep relying on our busy natures, to get us through whatever the current situation or problem is that we are experiencing. We believe that if we do more, move more and get around more, it will achieve what we need it to achieve, and it hasn’t really been working for us at all.

We keep trying to solve and fix things in our own strength, and we keep making a bigger mess. We know that insanity is trying the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result. If we aren’t experiencing peace, and love and joy, then we are NOT in the rest of God. We should not have so many sleepless nights, and be worried and overwhelmed with so many things, which is not how God created us. However if we are in constant movement and not in enough “rest”, it is difficult for us to hear God, and His solution for our current situation. It is hard to hear his voice, above the noise.

In Kings it says the fire came, God wasn’t in that and the earthquake came and God wasn’t in that. It wasn’t until it got quiet, that the “still small voice” came. God’s voice is hard to discern when we are busy with the “noise” of life. This is why He instructed us to “rest” to enter the Sabbath so that we could connect to Him and receive the “promises” He has for us and that is provided for us in the rest. But how will we ever experience it, if we won’t trust Him enough to take that rest. Hebrews 4: 9 says” There remains, then a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; (10) for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their “works”, just as God did from His. (11) Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.” It then begins to explain to us the benefits that come with the rest (read Hebrews 4: 12-16) and one of those benefits we receive is hearing the still small voice.

We don’t have to continuously struggle with the things we keep struggling with, we don’t have to keep moving in these same patterns, behaviors, or experiencing the same results over again and again. There is a wisdom that comes from entering the “rest” of God; it teaches you how to hear that still small voice. As a matter of fact there is an invitation that comes in that rest, it comes with a lighter burden and easier yoke (Hebrews 11:25-28) ! Won’t you take that rest, it will keep you from making those same mistakes over and over again.

Prayer: Father there are areas in my life, in which I have continued to the struggle the same way, I have tried to figure them out on my own, I have tried to fix them, I have tried to make them better and they just seem like they keep going the wrong way. Show me how to rest in you, so I learn to hear your voice, and get your wisdom for these situations in my life. I love you God, and I know you want what’s best for me, and that is your rest. In Jesus Name, Amen.