God is faithful, trust the whisper

I can hear it. The soft whisper of the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart. A whisper penetrating deep in my heart, my soul, and my bones. It’s like a fire burning on my insides. That feeling of knowing, really knowing. There is no guesswork needed because I’m so sure of it. But yet, I can’t see it. I’m holding fast to my faith (the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen).

In the spring of 2020, during my forced quiet time because of our national quarantine, God whispered to me about areas of my life. He’s always whispering if we’ll take the time to listen, and I had plenty of extra time then to pay close attention. I was serving to the best of my ability in a leadership position at my home church and awaiting the release of my book, Chasing Jesus. Everything was good, really good. And then I heard the whisper.

Habakkuk is a minor prophet in the Bible. The Word doesn’t tell us a lot about him, but what little it says in the three chapters tells us plenty, such as ... We’re in a similar boat. God spoke to Habakkuk and told him to jot things down and wait (Hab 2:2-3). He heard it, but just couldn’t see it yet.

And rumor, or theologians, who are way smarter than me, say Habakukk’s name possibly means “one who embraces.” I believe this is proven by the faith he had throughout the pages of his book.

Look closely at the scripture below. Recognize some of his last words that prove he was a lot like most of us. Here he’s in a season where he believed he heard the Lord speak, but was not yet seeing the fruit thereof.

I heard, and I trembled within; my lips quivered at the sound. Rottenness entered my bones; I trembled where I stood. Now I must quietly wait for the day of distress to come against the people invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will triumph in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! Yahweh my Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights! — Habakkuk 3:16-19 CSB

When God whispered to me in 2020, He reminded me of the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18. God, through HIS power, had given the order for Elijah to make it rain after years of drought and famine. Verse 41, Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a rainstorm.”

Did you catch that? Scripture says the sound of a rainstorm, not the sight of a rainstorm. Elijah didn’t see any evidence of a rainstorm, only the sound of one. You can’t see thunder, and thunder doesn’t always mean rain. It would be so much easier for us to believe God based on what we see rather than what we hear, amen?

But friend, that’s not faith. Faith is about our ears, not our eyes. It’s about believing in something greater than yourself. It’s about trusting the one who holds all things in His hands. It is about believing the whispers when there is zero evidence to back it up. Elijah believed what he heard, and He prepared for rain (1 Kings 43-44).

When God spoke to me last year, He asked me to do one of the hardest things I have done to date. He asked me to step down from something I loved because He needed me to be ready for something I couldn’t yet see. It has been one of the toughest years to date for me in the ministry world.

I have had to step away from so many things as God is preparing me for something so much bigger than I can see. I can hear it, but I still can’t see it all. I am catching glimpses and boy, am I grateful. But as grateful as I am for the glimmers, I can’t be dependent on them, only on Him.

Lately I am feeling a little more like Habakkuk. I may not see it all, but I will triumph in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

I see what I see, but it is not what I hear. Friend, God is faithful, trust the whisper.

In a little while, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a downpour.
-1 Kings 18:45a CSB

Cassie Downs, formerly of the Ellsinore area, is a speaker, author of Chasing Jesus, a 60 day devotional, and founder of Everyday Jesus Ministry. Connect with Cassie on Facebook, Instagram, or online at cassiedowns.com.