The Gentle Whisper Of Jesus

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a different Bible verse for Christmas.

Because you’re familiar with all the typical ones. Bible verses from the Gospel of Luke chapter 2, like, you know, “Today in the town of David a Savior’s been born to you; he’s Messiah, the Lord.” And then in the same chapter, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill.” And there are many more from Isaiah and in Matthew. “She will give birth to a Son and call his name Emmanuel.” We celebrate these verses and more. But there’s one I want to share that maybe you’ve never connected to Christmas. And it’s from 1 Kings chapter 19.

Now, here’s the back story. The great and mighty prophet Elijah is discouraged. He’s depressed. He feels isolated and alone, and he’s thinking about throwing in the towel. But then, while he is alone in his cave, the Lord said to him, starting with verse 11, “‛Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord’…Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. [And] then a voice said to him, ‘Elijah, what are you doing here?’”

Well, if ever I heard a Bible verse that has in it the echoes of Christmas, it’s this. Because when it comes to the birth of our wonderful Savior, there was no awesome display of power and might. No wind tearing apart the mountains or shattering the rocks, as if to say, “Hey! Pay attention here! God’s about to visit earth!” There wasn’t even an earthquake; no, God did not shake the nations with his coming. No red carpet. As it says in 1 Kings, the Lord was not in the wind or the earthquake, and the Lord did not come in the fire. Rather, it says literally, the Lord came in a gentle whisper. And when Elijah heard that whisper, he listened up and heard God say, “What are you doing? What are you doing here?”

And to me it’s the perfect metaphor for Christmas. Because like Elijah, you may be struggling this holiday season. Like the great prophet, you might be feeling low and isolated. Feeling, well, you gotta throw in the towel, you’re so down. If that’s you – if that’s you – don’t look for Jesus in the bright lights or the noisy parties. Don’t seek him in the display of power and might. The night that God came to earth was a whisper. That night was a gentle whisper. Like the whisper of straw in a manger, so quiet, you’d hardly know there was a mother and baby in the back stall. Just a whisper. It’s why I pray that when you hear the soft voice of the Spirit asking, “What are you doing?” you will answer and, like Elijah, renew your trust in the Savior. Oh, friend, there’s so much more to say about this, and I hope you’ll visit joniradio.org today, and ask for my gift to you this season called “The Christmas Story.” It explains in an artful, beautiful, and very clear way what this Advent season really means, including all the Scriptures that point to the coming of Christ. So, visit joniradio.org today and ask for your free gift. And one more thing. This Christmas, do not look for the Lord in the noise and the party and the clamor; listen for God in the gentle whisper.

And one more thing – we here at Joni and Friends would love to pray for you in your troubles. So, share with us your prayer need today at joniradio.org. Again, that’s joniradio.org.

© Joni and Friends

The Christmas Story

The joy and hope of Christmas unfolds afresh in this illustrated, 14-page, fold-out pamphlet. “The Christmas Story” draws from both the Gospels and the Old Testament prophets, as it recounts the miraculous events of Jesus’ birth. Allow the beauty of God’s Word to reignite your sense of awe and wonder for the story of Christmas.

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