Elijah and God’s Still, Small Voice
1 Kings 18:41 to 19:8
December 4-5, 2021
Elijah, one of perhaps the greatest prophet in the Old Testament is just coming from what we would call a mountaintop, amazing, victorious experience on Mount Carmel there when he defeated these 450 prophets of Baal, Baʽal. You know sometimes it's an interesting thing. Sometimes the greatest lows come right after the greatest highs. Coming off a great victory is often when the enemy spiritually attacks. Many people have experienced this. This we see in the story of Elijah.
Then you want to talk about a mountaintop experience, what had happened was this, if you remember the story, Ahab is now the king of the northern kingdom. Israel is divided north and south. Ahab is not a good king. Is a very wrongful king, is married to that wicked woman, Jezebel. He built altars to Baal, Baʽal, and Ashtoreth, these gods of the nations around them that were gods of fertility, you can understand what that means, and rain. In other words, the fertility of the produce of the land and rain.
God says, "You've turned your back on God, the God of Israel who brought you out of Egypt, who sustained you with His mighty hand? You're turning your back on Him to go after the god of rain of Baal? Fine, there will be no rain. Let him bring rain." He sent Elijah to declare that to Ahab. "There will be no rain. Until I give the word, there will be no rain." Three years six months, there's no rain. That is a famine. That is a drought. There's hardship that comes. "You trusted Baal, let him bring rain."
Now we come to the three and a half year mark where God said to Elijah, "Go show yourself to Ahab, I will surely bring rain, but first, there will be this epic showdown." Elijah meets Ahab and he says, "Bring 450 prophets of Baal to Mount Carmel, bring 400 prophets of Ashtoreth, and bring all the people of Israel." All the people gathered there, and then Elijah put forth this great challenge. "How long are you going to waver between two opinions? How long are you going to waver? If Jehovah is God, then follow Him. If Baal is God, fine, follow him. Let's do this."
He said, "Let's have the prophets of Baal set forth an altar, and they can put a bullock upon it, and then they can call out to Baal and ask that god to bring fire and to consume the altar. I will do the same. I will set a bullock on an altar, I'll call out on the God of heaven. The God who answers by fire, that is truly God." Now the people, thousands of people gathered and said, "This is a good thing. This is a good idea." I think the 450 prophets of Baal did not think it was a good idea, but now, the thousands of people are saying, "Yes, let's do this. Yes, let us see who is God. Let's do this."
Elijah says to the 450 prophets, "You have 450, you have more, you go first." They set up the bullock, the altar, and then they start calling out, "Oh, Baal, hear us. Oh, god. Oh, Baal, answer," but there was no voice. Nothing happened. This went on for hours. All morning long, this went on. Finally, midday, Elijah starts to mock them, which we thought was humorous. He's like, "Call louder. Surely he's there. Call louder. Maybe he's taking a nap. Maybe you need to wake him up. Call louder. Maybe he's on a trip. He could be on a trip or something. Yell louder.
I know what it is. Maybe he's in the bathroom. You need to really yell louder." He's just mocking them. They yell louder. They get out swords and lances and start cutting themselves, which is interesting. There's a modern equivalent to that today. Then this goes on all day long. Finally, the time of the evening sacrifice. They've been calling out to Baal hours, all day long.
I. Pray the Promises of God
Finally, at the end of the day, the evening, they have given up. Then Elijah sets the stones, the 12 stones, puts wood upon those, builds an altar, sets the bullock on the wood, and then he says, "Bring water, barrels of water." He drenches it. He has the people drench it with water, which is typically not the way you want to light a fire. Then he says, "Do it again." They bring more barrels of water, dump it on the altar of sacrifice. Then he says, "Do it again." The third time they poured water over it to the point that there's a great trench filled with water.
Then he prays a simple prayer. One of the great lessons from this story is that a simple prayer said in faith is very powerful. A simple prayer said in faith is very powerful. "Oh God Jehovah, God of Israel, answer with fire that these people will know that You truly are the God of Israel." God answered with fire, consumed the bullock, the wood, even the stones. The water was all consumed. The people then yelled out, "The Lord Jehovah, He is God. The Lord He is God." Then Elijah yells out, "Quickly cease the prophets of Baal, let none of them escape."
You want to talk about a mountaintop experience. Then he says to Ahab, "Go up now, eat and drink for there is the sound of a heavy rain." He goes to the top of Carmel, and he begins to pray. Perhaps it is at this point that Elijah thought maybe even Ahab will recognize that Jehovah is God of Israel, but Ahab is married to a controlling wife. He's married to that wicked woman, Jezebel, and she was calling the shots. She was telling Ahab what to do. She sent a messenger to Elijah.
When she heard about all this, when she heard all that he had done, that the 450 prophets of Baal had been slain and that fire was called down from heaven, she became furious. She sent a messenger to Elijah, "By this time tomorrow, you will be a dead man." This disturbs in spirit. He went from a tremendous high to an extreme low in one day. This disturbed him. She's threatening him. She's threatening his well-being. This is where great life lessons because there are things that will threaten your well-being in your life.
If they disturb your spirit, it could bring despair, it could bring depression, anxiety. It can upset your stability, your bearing. This is why there are tremendous life lessons for us to take hold of in this story. Now, we're going to read it in two sections. There's a part of 18 we're going to read first, and then later, we'll do a part of 19.
Let's begin in verse 41 of chapter 18, "Now Elijah said to Ahab, 'Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower," he is saying this knowing and understanding that God has made a promise and that God will do exactly what He said, "Ahab went up to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, he crouched down on the earth, and put his face between his knees," this is the posture of deep-focused concentrated prayer, just quite focused prayer, "Then he said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea," now I've been on Carmel many times.
You can see this scene unfolding because from Carmel, you can look to the west and there is the Mediterranean Sea. You can see very clearly. Look to the east, you can see the Jezreel Valley. This is the place where the battle of Armageddon will take place. You can see all the way. In a clear day, you can see all the way over even to the valley of Jordan, "He said to his servant, "Go up now and look to the sea." So he went up and he looked, and his servant came back and he said, “There is nothing."
He said to his servant, "Then go back." His servant went back again and looked, and he came to Elijah the second time and he said, "There is nothing." "Then go back." The third time he went up and he looked, and he came back and he said, "There is nothing." Seven times he sent him back.
On the seventh time, verse 44, came about that, "Behold," he said, “there is a cloud as small as a man's fist coming up from the sea," and Elijah responded, "Go up, now quickly say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you."' It came about in a little while that the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel." This is a distance of some 18 miles. It's the value of Jezreel but the town the village of Jezreel 18 miles.
Then it says an interesting thing in verse 46 that "The hand the Lord was on Elijah, he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel." What does it mean it girded up his loins? Well, it's very common for men to wear, what we would think of as a long garment and so to grid up your loins, you reach down and grab the garment and pull it up and tuck it in your waistband, and now you can run and that was the idea.
He girded up his loins and he ran and he outran Ahab. I don't know, I just love imagining scenes unfolding in my mind's eye, and here's Ahab he's got the horse, he got the chariot, he's got a driver, and he's sitting in the back of the chariot, and he's moving along, and then he looks over and there's Elijah passing him running past him 18 miles, 18 miles, he ran on the strength of God's hand on his leg.
A. Believe God’s promises when you pray them
Now, this is the verses I want to begin to look at and understand some things out of the story. Starting with this, this example of his praying, he prays the promises, God has promised rain is really an example of prayer, pray the promises of God is a right understanding. God has decided, this is how those things will move on the air. He will use the prayers of His people. This is what God has decided, he will use the prayers of His people. Elijah prays he's praying the promises of what God is instructed him to pray. He's praying.
Notice James, chapter five, verses 17 to 18. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he wants us to be able to understand and to relate. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. That period of time, by the way, is very significant I mentioned it last time. "He prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit." He's praying the promises this is what God has said and he's praying according to what God has said. God uses the prayers of His people. It should compel prayer, there should be something in us that arises that says, well, in that case, I want to pray. I recognize what God is saying here. God uses prayers of His people. In that case, I want to pray.
In fact, James chapter four, verse two says, You have not because you ask not. I don't know about you but that's compelling. Well, then I want to ask. In fact, he says in another place, "Then seek, knock, ask." I'm saying to you, ask, I'm saying to you seek and keep seeking, knocking, keep knocking. "You have not because you ask not." Notice James 5:16, "The effective prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much." That's compelling. I love the picture of that. You want an effective, powerful life, the effective prayer of a righteous man accomplished as much but would you notice this understanding, believe God's promises when you pray them.
See, praying the promises of God is a right understanding of prayer but can we add this aspect, then believe God's promises when you pray them? "Go up, eat and drink. There is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower." Hasn't happened yet, but he knows and believes that if God's said it, God will do it. He goes up to eat and drink. Elijah goes up to Carmel, crosses down any prays, and he's praying this prayer, "God, show your hand again." Then he says to His servant, go up now and look to the sea and the servant says, "There is nothing." Yet Elijah had said, "There is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower." He knew what God said. He believed what God said.
When the servant went and looked, there is nothing. There is nothing. It's an interesting thing. Time of drought, calling out to God there is nothing, it's very interesting. How many times have people heard that phrase, there is nothing. There is nothing, there is nothing in your life. There is nothing God is doing nothing. You are nothing, I say to you that if God is in you, if faith is rising in you, God is building hope and purpose in your life if that is the case, you are not nothing. He calls you His own. If He calls you His own, you are His son, you are His daughter and that is not nothing.
He is the one who can make something out of nothing. What do you see? I see nothing. He is the one who can make something out of nothing. I cannot tell you how many times people looked at my life, when I was young. When I was young, I experienced this very same thing, they looked at the dysfunction of my family. They looked at my alcoholic father, they looked at our extreme poverty, and essentially said the same thing. That boy will be nothing. He is nothing but I'd say God did something in me when I was young.
From an early age, something arose in me that I knew then that I would not be defined by what other people think about me. I will be defined by what God says about me regardless of what people say, I choose what God says about me. This is important. I've always believed that God is able to take that which is nothing and do something and He will do it for you too. Amen. Can we give the Lord praise?
Fact, it gives God great glory to take nothing's, nobody's and do something with them. You look at the scriptures, you will see it's a theme. God loves to take nobody's nothings, and do something with them. I suggest to you that we got a whole room full of nobodies and that's an opportunity for God's glory to be revealed. God loves to take nobody's God has purpose. He's the one who gives purpose and meaning to your life. Listen to that. Let me say this word he says, the servant says, "There is nothing." The question I have is this, was there nothing?
See, before there can be rain, there must be clouds but before there can be clouds, something must be arising from the sea. Where did clouds come from? Something must be arising off of the sea, you cannot see but there is something that's rising off of the sea. Was there nothing? No, there was something you just couldn't see it. This is important. Faith Believes that God works in ways you cannot see. Now there is something rising, you just can't see it.
Hebrews 11, Verse one actually defines faith in that way. Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is defined as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Would you notice, by the way also, now when the servant came back, and he said, "There is nothing," that Elijah said to him well, then go back and look again? I think a lot of people need to hear this because I think many people would have given up right at that point. There is nothing. What do you mean, there's nothing? No, there's nothing. I think a lot of people would have just given up right there well, I guess God is not in this thing. I guess God's not going to do this thing. Ahab, really sorry about those 450 brothers on Baal there.
No, he said, "Then you go back and look again," and he comes back the second time, "There is nothing," "Then you go and look again." The third time, "There is nothing," "Then you go back and you look again." The fourth time, "There is nothing," "Then you go back and look again." This is a very important thing because so many people, they quit on God to give up on God. How many times did they walk around Jericho? God says, "Keep walking, keep believing, keep marching. Look again," you may think you're starting with nothing but if God is in it, He's working in ways you cannot see. Keep watching.
B. Don’t despise the day of small beginnings
When we started the church, we started with nothing, but God was doing something. See, God was working. God was arising, I've come to understand that the only thing you may have is vision of God and the promise of His word, but I tell you, if God is in it, He will build it, to believe. See Psalm 127, verses one to two, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain to build it." If God is in it, He'll build it.
The watchmen, "Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain." If God is watching it, it is watched. "For it is vain to rise up early to eat, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors for it is He who gives to His beloved even while he sleeps. Like you can't see you're even sleeping you don't know but God is rising, God is moving. Then we see this out of the story. Very important, don't despise the day of small beginnings. On the seventh time, the servant came back, "Behold, a cloud as small as the man's hand coming up from the sea." A cloud as small as the man's hands? That's it, `that's all you got? That's all you got, a small cloud that's size of a man's fist. That's it? That's all you got, Lord?
Elijah knew exactly what that meant. So much so that he sent his servant to Ahab, "You tell Ahab he better get in that chariot and he better get that chariot to Jezreel before this rain stops him," because he knew exactly what that meant. "Don't despise the day of small beginnings." The cloud. See, what is that saying? Little is much when God is in it. When Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000, and that's just counting the men, a great vast crowd of people, He fed with five small loaves and two fish. God delights to take small beginnings and to do great things.
This actually comes out of Zechariah 4:10, "Do not despise the day of small beginnings." What happened was this. Israel had been exiled, they had turned their back on God, they were defeated by Babylon. They were exiled to the city of Babylon and they were there for 70 years. You want to talk about a time of drought. 70 years, a spiritual time of drought as they were there in Babylon 70 years. At the end of which, according to the Word and promise of God, who named by name, who would send them back to come to Jerusalem, that city that God had placed His name, that city that He had promised to His people, Jerusalem, to rebuild and restore Jerusalem, to rebuild and restore the temple of God.
When the people came back, what did they see? A mountain of rubble. Though they became so discouraged, they were given that word, "Rebuild, restore." They begin the work but they saw it as nothing. The work that they did was so insignificant, so small, this is nothing. They began to be very discouraged. God said this word, it becomes one of the most famous words in the Old Testament, oftentimes quoted, Zechariah 4:4-7 and Verse 9, leading up to it. He says, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel," who was the governor of the people, and it says this, "It is not by might, it is not by power. It's by My Spirit."
God will do it. "It's not by might, it's not by power, it's by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts. What are you, oh great mountain?" He's talking about the mountain of rubble, mountain of troubles. It's a great word for people who have faced that mountain of troubles. "What are you, oh great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, you will become a plane. And he will bring forth the top stone, the capstone, the finishing stone. He will bring forth the top stone which shouts of grace."
It was God's grace that did this thing. "The hands of Zerubbabel had laid the foundation of this house and his hands will finish it." "Do not despise the day of small beginnings." You see it as nothing. You see it as just a small insignificant thing. God sees it as what it will become. Oh, there is the sound of a heavy shower. You tell Ahab he better get to Jezreel now. Let's look at the next section because it's very, very important. Elijah goes from this mountaintop experience into this extreme defeat of lowness. Notice Chapter 19, Verse 1. "Ahab came, told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, how he had killed all the prophets with the sword."
Jezebel, when she heard this, she became furious. She sent a messenger to Elijah and she said, "So may the gods do to me and even more if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by tomorrow, this time." Elijah, by this time, tomorrow, you're a dead man." He was afraid, and he arose, and he ran for his life. He came to Beersheba, which is way in the South. I've been there. It's way in the desert in the South, in Judah, which just means he's safe here.
He left his servant there with Beersheba. He himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came and he sat down under a juniper tree. Then he requested-- This is a point of low. Notice how low, how depressed, what despair. He gets to the point where he wants to die. This is the lowest point. He requested to die. He said this, "Enough." Many people understand this point. Enough, I cannot take anymore. Enough. Lord, take my life, I am no better than my fathers. He lay down and he slept under this juniper tree.
Then behold, an angel, touching him, said, "Arise, eat." He looked, and behold, there at his head, a bread cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and he drank and then he laid down again. God is going to minister to Elijah. He's going to begin with rest. Just sleep. So many people can relate to this point of being so burnt, physically worn, at the end, he just needs to sleep. He starts there and feeds him. Then he wakes up again. It says in Verse 7, "The angel came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise, eat, because the journey is too great."
He arose and he ate and he drank, and he went in the strength of that food for 40 days and 40 nights to Horeb, Mountain of God. This is the same mountain that God met Moses. This is the same mountain by which God gave the Law, the commandments of the Old Testament to Israel, there in that mountain. This is that mountain where God met Moses in a cloud. He dwelt for 40 days. There was fire. Oh, that's a powerful mountain. 40 days, it took him to go there on the strength of that food. Again, the sustaining, miraculous, intervening Hand of God.
Then he came to the cave there in that mountain and the Lord's there. Behold, the Word of the Lord came to him. He said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He's drawing it out. "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He says, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts, but the sons of Israel have forsaken your covenant. They've torn down your altars and they've killed your prophets with a sword, and I alone am the only one left, and they seek now my life to take it away."
The Lord said, "Go forth, stand on the mountain before the Lord." Behold, the Lord was passing by. Great and strong wind was running the mountains and breaking in pieces, the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, the sound of a gentle blowing wind. [wafts] When he heard that, it came about that Elijah wrapped his face in his cloak.
He went out, stood in the entrance of the cave, and behold, that still gentle voice, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He says it again, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts, but the sons of Israel have forsaken your covenant, tore down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword, I alone am left. Now they seek my life to take it away." The Lord said to him, in that gentle way, "Go return on your way. Go to the wilderness of Damascus," which is way north of Israel. "When you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram. Then you will anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi. You shall anoint him king over Israel," which is to say Ahab is not going to be king very much longer.
II. Don’t Run; Stand Firm in Troubles
"Then you will anoint Elisha, son of Shephat of Abel Meholah. You shall anoint him to be prophet in your place." These are the verses I want us to see. Very important lessons out of these verses, starting with this, don't run, stand firm in troubles. Don't run, stand firm in the troubles. After it began rain, Ahab is told to go back to Jezreel before the rain stops him. Elijah girded up his loins and ran 18 miles. When Ahab tells Jezebel all that happened in Carmel, she's furious. She sent a messenger, "You, by this time tomorrow, will be dead."
That's when Elijah hits bottom and you read words that you never would think would describe Elijah. "He was afraid and he ran." What happened? This is the same Elijah that called fire from heaven on Mount Carmel. This is the same Elijah who defeated four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. It says in the book of James, I read before that, it says that Elijah was a man like us. Well, there you can see it. Perhaps he was, because he allowed Jezebel to intimidate him. He allowed her words to disturb his spirit to get into his head.
A. Learn to hear the right voice
In other words, it's a great life lesson. Learn to hear the right voice. Learn to hear. Her voice got into him. Her voice disturbed him, her voice intimidated him. Her voice threatened him. Here he had been in confrontation with the prophets of Baal that run eighteen miles and instead of national revival he's got Jezebel's wrath. We can relate to being tired and burned out. God does not hide the failure and humanity of the people in the Bible. It lays it out just as they were.
Reminds me of a great quote by CH Spurgeon, who said, "the best men are at their best just men". The truth is we're made in the image of God, but we're made from the dust of the earth, Psalm 103 versus 13-14, "The Lord has compassion on those who fear because he knows our frame mindful that we are but dust." In other words, Elijah wasn't part of heart. He wasn't rebellious. He wasn't stubborn. He was tired.
He was tired and he was burned out and he is come to the end. He's physically exhausted. Now he's got this threat. See, this is when you are burned out, tired out, physically worn out, that's no time to make life decisions. That is not the time to be making major decisions. See people can understand this point. In times are trouble if you're in the midst of a tremendous time of trouble, many people, they just want it to end. They just want it over. They're looking for a way out. They're just looking for the quickest way out of the thing. They just want it over and they want to run.
If you don't run, if you stay in it, and if you discern what is happening and you discern the voice that you are listening to, then you can see what others cannot see. If you don't run, if you stay and discern. I would like us to look at this and understand something important. Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this threatening word. Would you notice something important? She sent a messenger. She sent a messenger, not messengers. She didn't send soldiers. I submit to you that she is the one who's got reason to fear him.
She's got reason to be afraid of him. If she really wanted to kill him, couldn't she have sent soldiers to have arrested him? If she really wanted to kill him, couldn't she have done that? I suggest to you that she is the one who's got reason to fear him. He's the one who just called down fire from heaven. He's the one who just defeated four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and had them all slain. I submit that she is the one who's got reason to be afraid of him.
In other words, who should be afraid of whom? This is the ultimate question that we need to understand who should be afraid of whom the scripture says, "The gates of hell will not prevail against the church." Curses against you cannot alight when the blessing of God and the favor of God is on you. The curses of the enemy cannot alight when the blessing of God is on your life, amen. Can we give the Lord praise for that understanding?
B. God’s answer is better than self-doubt
She is the one who had every reason to be afraid. She tries to intimidate him, and it worked. He listened to her threats. He listened to her voice and it disturbed his spirit and he ran, which is to say, don't run, don't run when you have nothing to fear. Don't run from the trouble. Don't run from the problem. Many people, they just want this thing to end and they run from it. No, stand in it, stand. Stand in it because God will stand with you in it. God will give you discernment. God will show you because listen, God's answer is better than self-doubt. God has an answer and God's answer is better than self doubt.
See notice in chapter 19:4, Elijah prays he's come to the end. You want to talk about despair? He's come to the point where he wants his life to end. "Enough, I cannot take this anymore. Enough, God, take my life. I'm no better than my father's." See, in other words, not only did Elijah listen to Jezebel, he also listened to himself. He listened to his own self-doubt. See, here's my point. If you're feeling sorry for yourself and you're talking to yourself, you're probably going to discourage yourself. This is very important to recognize. Now was Elijah feeling sorry for himself? Oh, there's no question. I have been very zealous. I alone. I'm the only one.
Later God says I have seven thousand. I have seven thousand who have not bowed to Baal. I have seven thousand who have not kissed him. You're not alone Elijah, but he's feeling sorry for himself. It's a very important thing because this is the condition that many find themselves in. If you're feeling sorry for yourself and you're talking to yourself, you're going to disturb yourself. To discern the voice that you listen to is a very important aspect of life. God then speaks to Elijah. That's the voice you need to hear. That's the voice. Don't listen to those who are against you.
Don't listen to those who are trying to intimidate you. Don't listen to those who are trying to threaten you or belittle you. Don't listen to your own self-doubt. Listen to what God has to say. That will change your entire perspective because what God has to say is a word of life of encouragement to the soul. God is calling that self-doubt and fear out of Elijah. What are you doing here, Elijah? Say it, speak it. What are you doing here? He's calling out that self-doubt and that fear, what are you doing here?
Self-doubt and insecurity is a condition of which everyone is born. I suggest to you, every person is born into the condition of man. The condition of man is that of self-doubt and insecurity. God has a better word. Something must happen. That which must happen is faith to arise that you would hear the voice of the one who would speak in that still small voice, who would speak a word to you to encourage you in your self-doubt.
What are you doing here? And then the words of a self-doubt come forth and then God answers. "I say to you go forth into the purpose and the anointing of your calling. Go, anoint kings and prophets. That's what I called you to do. Go. Go even to the far north, I'll go with you. I called you to anoint kings and prophets go. Go forth in what I called you to do".
This is important to recognize, go, in that still small voice calling out his insufficiency, go forth in the purpose in calling and anointing of God.
God is calling many people today out of their self-doubt. God is calling many people out to send them forth in the purpose of their calling and the purpose for their lives. The question is whose voice you going to hear. Whose voice you're going to hear.
Don't listen to those who are against you, to those who are trying to intimidate you, to those who are trying to belittle you. Don't even listen to your own self-doubt. We must hear from God. We must hear what God has to say because God will change your whole entire perspective of this trouble. Amen.
Father thank You so much for showing us that Your voice is the voice we need to hear. God, I pray for everyone in this room now, that we would say it clearly, boldly, "Yours is the voice I want to hear. I will take hold of your word. I will take hold of Your heart for me. I will build my life on that which You speak forth into my life." Church, how many would say that to the Lord today. It's a declaration that you would say to the Lord. Yours is the voice. That's what I want to hear. I'll build my life on Your word, Your voice that speaks into my heart and into my life.
I'll build my life on it. Send forth Your purpose and calling on my life. I'll take hold of Your word. I'll build my life on that. Church, how many would say that to the Lord. Would you just say it by just raising your hand to the Lord? I just want to declare it. I just want to say it. Yours is the voice I want to hear. I'll build my life on this. God change my view of this trouble. Help me to see Your heart. That you're always with me. You'll never forsake. You'll be with me even to the end of the age. You're the one who sends forth purpose and calling on my life. I'll build my life on that, in Jesus' powerful name, and everyone said.