Daily Whispers
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Daily Whispers
February 12, 2012
by Rev. William “Buck” Day
Lord, I just praise you for the many ways you reveal yourself to us in the every day, just as even in a moment of silence it is an opportunity to just be with you. So we want to do that Lord. And Lord, I thank you, I thank you that we have this opportunity together and to hear what your word says. So Lord, from that, I ask that you would quicken our hearts by your Holy Spirit for each one of us needs to hear something different and that could only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit. So Lord I ask for that this day, that my words might be usable before you. Thank you Jesus. Amen.
Well last week we looked at the idea that God whispers into our lives each day and that message, as well as the ones that are part of the series, are from a book by Pastor Bill Hybels called The Power of a Whisper. If you remember, last week we talked about five different ways to determine whether what we would hear— a whispering, a leading, a prompting, it is all the same thing— whether they were from God. Do you remember what those are? They are right here. The first one is to ask God, right? Ask God if this is really from you or not. Secondly, is it scriptural? Third, is it wise? Fourth, does it connect with how God has put me together? And then finally, ask those trusted friends around you, does this make sense?
As part of that, if you remember, one of the things that we talked about, I kind of left you with a challenge, do you remember that? I said as you think through your goals for the upcoming week, how about making your top goal to listen for the whispers of God. Did any of you do that? Are any of you bold enough to share whether you heard a whisper this week? Really?! Well, I want to encourage you. This is a learning process. Remember, we talked about that last week that this is a new skill that we are learning and we have to practice it, O.K.
Well, I will tell you the one that I had this week. It was last Monday. I was at the Health Club and I was on the treadmill. I was walking along and where the treadmill is it kind of looks on over the door where folks come in. As I was just there with my head phones on and kind of doing my thing, I noticed one of the guys that walked in was a childhood friend of my son who I had taken to basketball games and that kind of stuff together when they were in middle school. He works out there and I did one of those waves and he did that back. Then all of a sudden I was going “Buck, do more than just say hi to the guy. Do more. Have more of a conversation, not talk to him a couple times, but do more.” I thought O.K., I will do that. Then I said, “O.K. Lord, here is what I am going to do. If I see him through the rest of my workout, I will go up and talk to him.” O.K. But in the meantime, while I was finishing my work on the treadmill, I was praying. I just prayed, Lord, I don’t know where this guy is at but you do and you want me to just come alongside him and help him along. I didn’t seem him the rest of the workout but I did see him yesterday. Again God’s prompting was right there. So that is just how it works so I want to encourage you to continue to listen for God’s whispers as you go through your week. Alright?
So I think God speaks today. We have looked at that. God has spoken in the past in history. He speaks to normal followers of Jesus Christ, just like you and like me. And if that is true then maybe the next thing to think about is are there some regular or probably typical whispers that he whispers to us more often than not. I think there are. I think there are three types of whispers that God kind of most often gives to us when we walk through life with him. We want to look at those today. We are going to do it by looking at three stories. We are going to ask three questions. And then we are going to end up with three truths that come out of that. Alright? So that is where we are going today, so let’s jump right into that first story. The first story comes from Genesis, Chapter 6. It is the famous story of Noah and the Ark. What we are going to do is we are going to read through some of the Scriptures just to get a flavor of the story, O.K.? So story one from Genesis, Chapter 6. Genesis 6:
9 These are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. 12And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth. 13And God said to Noah, ‘I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth. 14Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits… 17For my part, I am going to bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. 18But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.’… 22Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
God spoke pretty clearly to Noah there, didn’t he? If you think about it, Noah lived in the desert, so boat building was probably not one of his skill sets. But our text tells us that he was a righteous man and he cared more for walking with God than for pleasing his friends. So the first whisper that I think God is most likely to give us as we walk through our lives is a whisper of action, a whisper of action. God said build the ark and put two of every creature in it. Talk about an action… That was pretty amazing. That was big time. Imagine the courage it took for Noah to obey. And yet it says that he did what God commanded. And that leads us to our first question. The question for all of us is: is there something that God is calling you to build today? For Noah it was the ark, but what is it for you? Maybe he is giving you a prompting, a whisper to take some kind of action, to build something. Maybe it is a relationship or a career or a family. Maybe the action he is prompting you to is a prompt to save something, to rescue something that is in peril. Maybe it is simply to take a step and operate by faith, just step out in faith alone and see where it takes you. It can be as dramatic as something like Noah building the ark, but the reality is that for the majority of us it is going to start with something much more simple. It is going to start with something as simple as simply pray for that person, like God did with my son’s friend. Maybe attend a meeting, ask a question, read a book.
The men’s bible study has been meeting on Wednesday nights now for a couple years I’d say. And I have to tell you I am very glad that it has been happening and it has been happening with lay leadership and I really appreciate that. Well, a couple of months ago they were about ready to start a new study. In fact it was the study that we just started this morning in Sunday school on the Holy Spirit. I asked Rick Pavelka, who was leading the study, if I could just kind of sit in. I didn’t want to lead it; I just wanted to sit in. And Rick said, “Well, why don’t you just lead it?” He’s no dummy…. And I have to tell you my first inclination was to say “No, I don’t want to.” I want it to be lay led because lay led ministries are going to be the thing that is going to help grow this church. So we need to encourage that. But at this point God kind of prompted me. He said, “Yeah, do it Buck.” So I have done that. I’ve stepped into it just to kind of direct the conversation a little bit and I have to tell you that I have been blessed by it. I have been blessed to get to know the guys better and to see their hunger to grow closer to God and that has been a good thing. So guys, we were standing room only last Wednesday. Let’s see if we have to move ourselves out of that room. So come Wednesday night at 7:00, will you? It will be worth it.
So if that is the question, what might God be prompting you to act on; the truth that comes out of that is from Ephesians, Chapter 2, verse 10. It says, “You and I are God’s workmanship. We were created in Jesus Christ for good works (catch this) which he prepared in advance for us to do.” One of the primary ways that God helps us get at doing those good works that he has prepared for us is by divinely guiding our steps. He helps us accomplish those good works by simply maybe sending a few action oriented whispers our way. So what about you?
Alright, that is our first set. Let’s go on to our second set. The second way that God whispers into our lives is what I might call a whisper of admonition. This story that goes along with that comes from Matthew, Chapter 16, so let’s once again go to God’s word. Matthew 16:
21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ 23But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’
Peter was one of the more outspoken of the disciples. He usually said what was on his mind and nine times out of ten it was a little off kilter in some way. Yet, Jesus is the one who also says to Peter “You are my rock and on you I am going to build my Church.” So when Jesus begins to lay this little ditty on them as they are gathered here that he is going to have to die, Peter can’t stand it. He can’t stand it, so he says, “Not on my watch, Jesus. That is not going to happen.” Then Jesus gives him the admonishment of what might be considered all admonishments when he says “Get behind me, Satan!” Imagine the God of the Universe looking you in the eye and saying “You are a demon.” That is when you know you are in trouble. Peter’s thoughts became a stumbling-block that Jesus couldn’t tolerate and he had to put an end to it right then and right there. Why did Jesus do that? Our text says because his mind was on the things of man not the things of God. I think that is a fitting explanation for you and me when we receive whispers of admonition, as well. Whenever God observes some errant thinking in our mind, maybe some errant actions or reactions, or maybe even some errant choices, I can only imagine that God recoils from us in that because God is holy, God is perfect, God is righteous and he can’t be a part of that. And yet when we insist on indulging in things that are less than holy, that are less than perfect, that are even immoral or impure, we distance ourselves from God. That is just what happens when we do that. But often, in the midst of that, if we listen closely, even across that great distance that we are creating, we still hear that still small voice we just heard the choir sing about. It says think about what you are doing. Count the cost before you choose that. Every one of us can tell of a time when we have heard that still small voice that is whispered to us, that gentle rebuke from God; and I’m guessing that for most of us here today there is still a loving admonition that God still wants to whisper to all of us, as well.
That leads us to our second question: What words of admonition might God want to whisper to you today? What sin is he asking you to abandon? What burden is he asking you to lay down? Scripture promises that God’s goal for you and me is perfection and yet the reality is that none of us have reached that yet, right? And that leads us then to the second truth, I should say, and that is that God will not stop refining us until that transformation is complete. God is not going to stop transforming us until we have reached perfection. Isn’t that good news? Isn’t that a marvelous promise to hang our hats on? God is not done with us yet! So between the now, where we know where we are, and the perfection that is to come, one of the primary ways that God accomplishes that refining work in our lives is through whispers of admonition. So if you are feeling the nudge of the Holy Spirit, there is a little admonition that God would like to speak into your thoughts right now. Can I offer a couple suggestions as you think about that and you ponder that? One is to simply receive it with an open mind— receive it with an open mind, receive it with an open heart, and even with open hands. Because God means it for good for you even as hard as it is for you to hear it right now, God means it for good, not for your destruction. The truth is that the better we get at receiving those admonitions, the gentler God will send them our way.
That is our second story, our second question, our second truth. Let’s move on to our third one. This is the story that shows us the third way God speaks to us often is through a whisper of assurance, a whisper of assurance. The story here is from 2 Kings, Chapter 4. This is a story that I will have to stop and add a couple things in, but just follow along with us as we look at various verses from 2 Kings 4, the story of Elisha. 2 Kings 4:
8 One day Elisha was passing through Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to have a meal. So whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for a meal. 9She said to her husband, ‘Look, I am sure that this man who regularly passes our way is a holy man of God. 10Let us make a small roof chamber with walls, and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that he can stay there whenever he comes to us.’
(Then Elisha speaking through his servant says to the woman)
13… ‘Say to her, Since you have taken all this trouble for us, what may be done for you? (He is saying, what can I do for you since you have been so nice to me?) Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’ 15Gehazi answered, (That is the servant of Elisha.) ‘Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.’… 16He said, ‘At this season, in due time, you shall embrace a son.’ She replied, ‘No, my lord, O man of God; do not deceive your servant.’
17 The woman conceived and bore a son at that season, in due time, as Elisha had declared to her.(The story goes on and a child is born and is out in the field with his father and becomes sick and is brought in. He said…)
20He carried him and brought him to his mother; the child sat on her lap until noon, and he died. 21She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, closed the door on him, and left… 25So she set out, and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, ‘Look, there is the Shunammite woman…’(The woman comes and gets Elisha and says come back. You have to help me with my child. So when Elisha comes back.)
32 When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. 33So he went in and closed the door on the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. 34Then he got up on the bed and lay upon the child, putting his mouth upon his mouth, his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands; and while he lay bent over him, the flesh of the child became warm. 35He got down, walked once to and fro in the room, then got up again and bent over him; the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, ‘Call the Shunammite woman.’ So he called her. When she came to him, he said, ‘Take your son.’ 37She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground; then she took her son and left.
Powerful story, isn’t it? It is a powerful story of one of the ways that God most often speaks to us with words, with whispers, of assurance. In this story the woman is disparaging. So she goes and she gets Elisha. Think back on your own life. If you think back, haven’t you noticed that some of God’s greatest encouragement that you have ever received has come by the way of a real person in real flesh? You and I are incredible conduits of God’s compassion, grace and love. If we are only sensitive to the words that he would have us speak to those who are in need of that kind of encouragement, we can be used in much the same way.
So our text tells us that Elisha rushed to the boy’s side, covered him with his body and brought him back to life. A miraculous healing, isn’t it? It is an amazing story. And then comes the divine reassurance right at the end of our text, where Elisha says, “Take your son.” Take your son. In other words he is saying what was dead is now alive; what was gone has been returned; what was lost has been found; grief has been turned into joy. Isn’t that a theme that is echoed throughout scripture—what was lost has been found; what was dead is now alive; the grief has been turned into joy. God is reminding his people as he reminds us through scripture, that despite what we see from an earthly vantage point he says I still have things under control. I still have things under control. He says to you, “I am with you. I know you. I care for you. I can see you. I will never leave you or forsake you. I will watch over you, provide for whatever your needs are. I have known you since before time existed. I will love you even when time is no more.”
And that leads to our third question: What whispers of assurance do you need to hear today? What whispers of assurance do you need to hear today? Maybe someone or something recently has died in your life, maybe a family member or a friend, or even a dream. Maybe there is a hole within you that you desperately need filling. Perhaps you have lost something that was precious in your life and you would give anything to turn that grief back into joy. Listen to me carefully—God has words of assurance to speak to you today if you will have ears to hear. He wants to encourage you. That’s the third truth. Our losses don’t change who God is. Whatever loss you have faced, it doesn’t change who God is. He tells us that he is the same yesterday, today and forever. The God who wants to whisper encouragement into life right now is the one who Scriptures call our everlasting God, our banner, our protection, our provision, our refuge, our peace. And we cannot afford to forget that truth particularly when hard times come our way.
I want you to listen to a story of a woman who has experienced some hard times in her life. Her name is September and as you listen to her story, I want you to be looking for the words of assurance that were whispered into her life. Would you do that?
(Start of Video) It was just a normal Saturday and our middle child, Katie—we have five kids—our middle child, Katie, was heading out to work, her first day at a summer job. She had been home from college about a month and out she went. She was so excited. She had a job actually at this beach bar, which you know….it was at a beach bar and she was so excited because she really had a strong sense that most of her colleagues that she would be working with were far from God. She was like a kid in a candy store—she could not wait to start building relationships with these people and perhaps introduce them to the Jesus that was so important to her.
About an hour after she left, I got the phone call that every parent dreads. It was an emergency room nurse at the other end of the line and she was asking us to come down because our daughter had been brought in. We went down to the hospital and there she was. While driving to work she had had a ruptured brain aneurysm. She had passed out at the wheel and there had been a violent car accident. Her neck was broken at C1 and she was in a coma. There was not a scratch on her. She looked like a beautiful angel just laying there, but she had a ventilator in her mouth to breathe for her. Her pupils were blown and there was no life in her eyes. I knew I needed to, at some point, make a phone call to my parents to let them know what was going on. I couldn’t get cell reception in the hospital so I stepped outside into the ambulance bay. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was struck by the beauty of the day—the blue sky, the wispy clouds, the trees overhead—and as I stood there my hand was shaking. I was trying to dial my mother’s cell phone number on my cell phone when I got this whisper from God. He said, “I am good. This circumstance does not change my character; this does not change who I am; I am good.” In that moment I was just washed with this strong sense of peace that I knew was from him.
The circumstances didn’t look good. Three hours later our daughter was declared brain dead. Because of that whisper, I was able to navigate those coming days and weeks with a peace that I knew was not from me. In the months that have passed since then, our family has been able to walk through a journey I wouldn’t wish on anyone with a strong sense of God’s presence. He has been palpably, tangibly aggressive in his love for us and his care for us and I know someday I will see my daughter again in heaven. I know that someday I will be sitting around a heavenly kitchen table with all five of my children. But until that day I know that I am walking alongside a God who is good. (End of video)
Friends, we need to know that. We need to understand that God is good. He is on our side. He is present. He is powerful. He is available to meet every one of our needs, no matter what the need is. He has words of assurance to speak to you today.
I want to close by reading a segment of a book by a man named Thomas à Kempis. He lived in the late 1300s to the mid 1400s and he spent most of his life writing a book. The book was simply called The Imitation of Christ, and it was on the subject of conversing with this good, loving God. So let me close by reading this.
“Blest is the soul who hears the Lord speaking within her, who receives the word of consolation from his lips. Blest are the ears that catch the sense of divine whispering and pays no heed to the murmurings of the world. Indeed are blest are the ears that listen, not to the voice which sounds without, but to the truth that which teaches within. Blest are the eyes that are closed to exterior things and fixed upon those which are interior. Blest are they who penetrate inwardly, who try daily to prepare themselves more and more to understand mysteries. Blest are they who long to live their time to God, who cut themselves off from the hindrances of the world. Consider these things my soul and close the door of your senses so you can hear what the Lord your God speaks within you. I am your salvation says your beloved. I am your peace and your life. Remain with me and you will find peace. Dismiss all passing things and seek the eternal. What are all temporal things but snares and what help will all creatures be able to give you if you are deserted by the Creator. Leave all of these things, therefore, and make yourself pleasing and faithful to your Creator so that you may attain true happiness. My promise never deceives nor does it send away empty-handed him who trusts in me. What I have promised I will give. What I have said I will fulfill, if only a man remain faithful to my love to the end. I am the rewarder of all good, strong approver of all who are devoted to me.”
Let me pray for us.
Lord thank you that you will never leave us nor forsake us and Lord how we need you. We need you and we cry out for you, we hunger for you, O Lord. Lord help us to hear when you speak into our lives, help us to respond to it, Lord. Lord we pray for that and I ask that for every person in this room that we would be able to hear your whispers into our lives. Amen.