Chapter 28, Footnote 1:
The “still small voice”:
It would be wonderful, albeit terrifying, if we could hear the very voice of God with our own ears. Though God certainly reserves the right to speak with an individual in that manner, He has made it clear that we would have the counsel (what Brent is encountering at this moment), companionship, and friendship of the One that Jesus called the “Comforter” or “Advocate” (John 16:7). Also, Jesus said, “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26).
The Holy Spirit, living within us, may prompt you to do something; He may put a check in your spirit so as to prevent you from doing something, but He may also, when you are quiet in your spirit—while enjoying or pressing into His presence—whisper something to you. In that moment, you recognize the words, but you know that you didn’t hear them audibly; you just know that the Lord has spoken to you (1 Kings 1:11-13). That is the “still small voice” of God. I find it interesting that God, Himself, tells us to “be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
It is my personal opinion that the Lord speaks to us often through His still small voice, but we are so caught up in distractions that we often don’t hear what He has to say.
But if you put aside distractions in order to hear, or call on Him to speak and actually listen, you may just find that the voice of the Holy Spirit will calm your fears or give you strength or even move you to do a good work.
If you are willing to spend enough time with God—in relationship, not in “doing” or “not doing”—you can become sensitive to His voice. You will also be at an advantage in your walk with Christ.
When dealing with situations that require that you “test the spirits to know whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1) you must first know the voice of your Shepherd. If you recognize His voice, you’ll know when the Enemy is trying to trap you.