Whispers

Indeed, these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!

Job 26:14

Grace to you and peace.

It is interesting how your perspective can change as the circumstances of your life change. When I have read the book of Job in the past I would focus on his trials and stoic response. Recently though, I was struck by the conversation Job and his acquaintance Bildad have in chapters 25 and 26.

The conversation begins with Bildad attempting to describe the attributes of God:

“Dominion and fear are with God;
    he makes peace in his high heaven.
Is there any number to his armies?
    Upon whom does his light not arise?”

When he finishes, Job picks up his end of the conversation, basically saying ‘yes, I know all that’ and enumerating his own list. But, he finishes with this:

Indeed, these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?”

Yes, Job argues, we can say many things about God, but in the end, they cannot begin to fully describe God.  What we understand of God are ‘mere edges’ and ‘small whispers.’ God makes this very clear to Job later in the book.

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges of our faith is when we reduce God to what we can observe. How often do we settle for this small God and try to get others to do the same? How often is our image of God merely a projection of our own insecurity and needs? In truth, God is greater than anything we can comprehend or imagine. 

That being said, we do get ‘small whispers’ of the Divine. Often these whispers are easy to miss because they don’t necessarily align with our conception of God. We live in a transactional economy – you do this for me and I will do that for you.  There is no such thing as a free lunch, etc. That is not the economy of salvation or grace. God blesses without reservation. Perhaps that is why we so often miss God’s work in our lives; it is alien to how our society functions.

Spiritual disciplines and spiritual direction are ways to become more aware of God’s “whispers.” But, perhaps the simplest way to hear what God is doing is by beginning each day with an attitude of gratitude. Nothing is taken for granted when seen through the lens of gratefulness. When everything is seen as blessing, then we can find God in everything.

Lakota author Doug Good Feather writes:  

“Each and every morning offers us a chance to start anew, fresh, and to begin again. Each morning when we wake—should we choose to listen—is a message from the Creator to remember the privilege we were given of waking up.”

Too often I see waking up as a chore, not a privilege. Too often I choose not to listen to God’s voice welcoming me into the light of a new day and inviting me to live abundantly.

This Thursday many of us will celebrate Thanksgiving. Beyond food and football, it is a day to be grateful for our blessings and to listen, really listen for those ‘small whispers’ that say ‘I love you, you are mine.’ It is also a day to point out those whispers to others, especially those who desperately need to hear that God loves them. We can all be spiritual companions helping one another into the light of a glorious day.  We just need to listen.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving! And remember, God loves you.