Encouragement for Today
Principle 1
“Satan Yells, God Whispers”
Marybeth Whalen, Speaker Team Member
Key Verse:
Isaiah 30:21, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” (NIV)
Devotion:
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is found in I Kings 19:3-13. In this passage Elijah has run into a cave and is hiding from King Ahab, afraid for his life. He is at a real low point, with which we can all sympathize. He wants to know if God is really there. Have you ever asked that question in your heart?
Unfortunately, I don’t struggle with knowing whether Satan is in my life. He announces his presence with authority. I see him in my own sinful nature. I sense him lurking, waiting to strike. He crawls up on my shoulder and says horrible, crippling things in my ear. His voice is loud and persistent. I want to silence him forever but I must wait for God’s timing for that. In the meantime, I know that I must contend with my enemy.
Unlike Satan’s shrill hiss, God’s voice is a gentle whisper - something I don’t so much hear as feel in my soul. God is the great lover of my soul. He does not enter uninvited but is always the gentleman, waiting to be asked in. He says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me” (Revelation
Back to the passage in I Kings, we see God did not come to Elijah in the wind, the earthquake or the fire. He came in a gentle breeze that soothed and comforted Elijah’s troubled heart. He comes to us in the same way. Remember this about His character when you are facing tough times. Just because He is quiet does not mean God isn’t there. He will not yell at you and condemn you. That is the Enemy talking. Get to know God’s character so you can recognize His sweet voice.
My Prayer for Today:
Dear Lord, thank You that You care enough for me to speak to me. Help me to know You so well that I instantly recognize Your voice. Help me to know when it is Satan speaking to me and to learn not to listen to him. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
Determine what God is asking you to step out and do. Don’t go by ability or emotions. Go by Truth and God’s leading in your life. Set a goal to practice whatever that is and watch God work on the rest!
Get out your Bible and read I Kings 19:3-13.
Reflection Points:
What can you do to better hear God’s voice and silence Satan’s? Do you recognize the two distinct voices? What does each voice say about their character?
Power Verses:
Deuteronomy 30:20, “And that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Psalm 29:4, “The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.”
John 10:3, “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
Additional Resources:
Becoming a Woman who Listens to God, by Sharon Jaynes
What Happens when Women Walk in Faith, by Lysa TerKeurst
The P31 Woman Magazine
Originally published Monday, 11 September 2006.
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