Proverbs 8 - The Still Small Voice

"Blessed is the man who listens to me...

For whoever finds me finds life, 

And obtains favor from the Lord;

But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;

All those who hate me love death."

~ Proverbs 8:34a, 35-36

 

Some days life gets stormy, and I cry out, "Lord! Help! Give me wisdom to make the right choice here!" I sit and wait for thirty seconds before huffing and wondering why I haven't heard an answer yet. Can you relate?

 

Everything is going well, and in one split second, my day can be ruined. The thunder starts to sound in my head, and the rains start to fog over my mind. I wonder why I can't hear the Lord or if I've heard Him correctly. I become critical of everything and feel bitterness rising up within as I wonder why God hasn't answered me yet. As if I deserve an immediate response...

 

I've had plenty of these days. All it takes to trigger them is a spilled cup of coffee on my fresh outfit, a whiny attitude in my child, or a missed receipt causing an overdraft of my checking account. And the storm begins. And it doesn't end until I give it over to the Lord, who calms the winds and the sea.

When I'm stewing over minor issues in life, I tend to tell the Lord a lot but forget to listen. In stopping my ranting and stilling my spirit, I can finally hear the still small voice that speaks ever so gently. In listening for His voice, I can make decisions that will lead me to life-giving choices. 

But if I keep raging, sin rears up and strikes, taking life with it.

This Proverb speaks of finding life and obtaining favor from the Lord. Sometimes the rain is necessary, refreshing the things in my spirit and causing me to grow in the process. Other times, I cause my own storms and wrong my soul in the areas of sin I'm fully aware of. It's my choice to rock the boat or let the Lord still the waters.

What about you? Do you listen for God to answer in the storm, or do you rock the boat, trying to get out of it your own way?

Photo Copyright 2010 Alycia W. Morales