Brian M. Boyce is an award-winning writer and author of “Genesis Beginning.” For more information, visit www.boycegroupinc.com, on Facebook, or Twitter.
God’s voice was neither in the violent wind nor the raucous earthquake, although He certainly has the power to use such mediums when delivering a message. The same God who had answered Elijah’s prayers for fire before royalty and false prophets alike chose to speak with him alone in the wilderness. God knows us everywhere and anywhere.
And it’s good to keep this in mind as loud voices try to coerce us one way or the other. As Jesus Himself warns us, not all who attempt to persuade us are of pure intent.
“He replied, ‘Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them.”
Luke 21:8
He replied, "Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, `I am the Messiah,'* and saying, `The time has come!' But don't believe them.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
(NLT)
How will we know the truth when we hear it? How do we distinguish false threats from reality? Elijah was not fooled by false prophets, and he knew God’s voice when it spoke to him. This familiarity is born of time spent together, and it’s in the quiet of solitude which we nurture that relationship. Angry voices are not those of God, nor are those which cajole us into paths we know are wrong. And in those times when we’re most frightened or angry ourselves, it’s good to seek a silent wilderness where His voice can come and be recognized.
Keep in mind, Moses had good reason to be concerned about God’s proposed mission whereby he would confront the ruler of Egypt himself and demand that all Israel be freed from slavery. A full-grown father and husband at this point, like all of us, deep within him was the child’s memory. And in his case, that childhood was surrounded by the executions of Hebrew children and beatings of his people. Moses knew what manner of man the Pharaoh was, and that was one of many reasons he was content to live in the boondocks of Midian.
But God made clear that He had not only chosen Moses, humble shepherd though he was at that point, but that He Himself would be fully behind him in this endeavor.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together* for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
NIV).”
Moses had faith in the voice he heard calling from a burning bush, faith in the God of his ancestors, and faith in the promise made Abraham of a free Israel. And at that point in history, that faith was the lone substance of many things hoped for, the only evidence of a promise unseen. What would the history of Israel, and in point of fact, all Christianity, be had Moses faltered and turned aside? God’s will always wins in the end, and perhaps He would have simply gone on down the road to the next in line. We’ll never know how many opportunities we’ve missed to play the role of Moses in God’s great design if we wear the mask of fear.
Who are we to be called to God’s work? Who was anyone before God led them to what they became? A walk with God is the substance of things hoped for, but that substance is rarely seen on the first step.
