The Power Of A Whisper Part 2

Later, the prophet Balaam said, "I must speak only what G.o.d puts in my mouth."13 And who can forget when Balaam's talkative donkey received some divine direction of her own?

When Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness, Scripture tells us that still more people could hear the voice of G.o.d: "Surely the LORD our G.o.d has shown us his glory and his greatness," they said, "and we have heard his voice from the midst of the fire."14 G.o.d clearly communicated with Joshua, after his mentor Moses had died. He talked to Gideon, giving the warrior specific instructions about how many (or rather, how few) men to take into battle in order to secure a swift victory.15 Then there was the wife of Manoah, who came to her husband one day and informed him that G.o.d had spoken to her through an angel. She learned she would conceive and give birth to a son-a boy she would name Samson, who would be dedicated to the Lord's work and rescue Israel from the Philistines.16 Young Samuel-another yearned-for child born to a woman in tune with G.o.d's whispers-certainly heard a word from the Lord, as I mentioned in chapter 1. In this same biblical era, G.o.d whispered specific direction to shepherd-turned-king David. According to 2 Samuel 2:1, "In the course of time, David inquired of the LORD. 'Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?' he asked. The LORD said, 'Go up.' David asked, 'Where shall I go?' 'To Hebron,' the LORD answered." Specific questions, specific answers.

A lesser known prophet, Micaiah, said, "As sure as G.o.d lives, what G.o.d says, I'll say."17 G.o.d even spoke to Satan and then to Job during the well-known story of Job losing it all, only to gain far more from G.o.d.

The prophet Isaiah testified to the presence of G.o.d's still, small voice. "Whether you turn to the right or to the left," he told the people of Jerusalem, "your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'"18 Earlier in the book of Isaiah, the prophet responded to G.o.d's whisper with now-famous words. "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then said I, 'Here am I; send me.'"19 That one whisper alone has compelled many Christ-followers across the globe to leave the lives they know and avail themselves of an adventure that could only be orchestrated by G.o.d. I've known executives, accountants, mechanics, teachers, doctors, full-time students, at-home moms and people who fill almost every other profession imaginable who one day decide to radically s.h.i.+ft gears in favor of following a whisper from G.o.d. Leaving the lives they knew behind, they embark on a journey that only G.o.d himself could have dreamed up. "Here I am, Lord. Send me!"-it's a powerful prayer to pray.

This same prophet Isaiah said of G.o.d's whispers: "The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign LORD has opened my ear; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away."20 It seems G.o.d prepared another prophet, Jeremiah, early in life to pay attention to heaven-sent wisdom he would receive along the way: "But the LORD said to me, 'Do not say, I am too young.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you."21 G.o.d has spoken clearly to many of his followers: "Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."22 SWEEPING INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT, G.o.d SPOKE TO THE elderly priest Zechariah through the angel Gabriel, who delivered good news: Zechariah would soon father a son, John the Baptist, who would be called the greatest human ever to live.23 The same angel then spoke to Mary, the mother of Jesus. "The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.'"24 An angel spoke to a jittery Joseph in a dream, telling him not to be afraid to take a very pregnant Mary as his wife.25 And G.o.d communicated in multi-part harmony-through angels, shepherds and prophets-to announce the birth of his Son, Jesus Christ. He spoke to shepherds through an angel: "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."26 G.o.d spoke to his own Son as well. "As soon as Jesus was baptized," says Matthew 3:16a17, "he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of G.o.d descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'"

John 1:1 refers to Jesus as "the Word," and through the Messiah incarnate, G.o.d would whisper countless times-to city officials, religious leaders, tax collectors, fis.h.i.+ng-industry workers, hardworking moms and more. Even the natural world received its fair share of input, such as when Jesus said to the storm, "Be still!"27 As you'd expect, the storm obeyed.

Jesus spoke to his disciples the unknowable truth about the death of Mary and Martha's brother. "So Jesus then said to them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.'"28 G.o.d spoke clear, practical instruction to Philip. "Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road-the desert road-that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.'"29 Later in the book of Acts, G.o.d spoke to Peter while the apostle was on the roof waiting for lunch. G.o.d said, "Do not call anything impure that G.o.d has made clean."30 The leaders of the early church understood G.o.d's propensity to whisper. After making a decision concerning the Gentiles' entry into the church, Scripture records their words, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us..."31 G.o.d sometimes spoke through the evidence of divine providence. In Acts 16:7, the author writes, "When they [Paul and his traveling companions] came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to."

During an awful storm that caused his s.h.i.+p to go down, the apostle Paul heard from the Lord, and addressed the pa.s.sengers and crew: "Last night an angel of the G.o.d whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and G.o.d has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in G.o.d that it will happen just as he told me."32 And it did.

Both Paul and Peter understood their roles to include the responsibility of speaking for G.o.d. Paul wrote, "But we speak the wisdom of G.o.d in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which G.o.d ordained before the world unto our glory."33 "For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of G.o.d: but as of sincerity, but as of G.o.d, in the sight of G.o.d speak we in Christ."34 G.o.d spoke to the apostle Paul during an especially long and dark night of the soul. "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take [the thorn in my flesh] away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"35 The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that G.o.d speaks to us through his Son. "In the past G.o.d spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe."36 In 1 Peter 4:11 (NIV), we read this counsel from one man who lived wide open to G.o.d: "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of G.o.d...so that in all things G.o.d may be praised through Jesus Christ."

And finally, G.o.d spoke to his church through the advocacy of the Holy Spirit. The Message transliteration of Revelation 2:7 says this: Are your ears awake?

Listen.

Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.

I'm about to call each conqueror to dinner.

I'm spreading a banquet of Tree-of-Life fruit, a supper plucked from G.o.d's orchard.

Listen to the "Wind Words," that verse suggests-the whispered promptings of G.o.d. Still today he is speaking, as evidenced by John 14:26: "The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

It is by these whispers, John 15:5 says, that we are led toward a productive and fruitful life. By the still, small voice of G.o.d, our lives are flooded with personal a.s.surance, correction, insight, guidance from above.37 By our heavenly Father's wisdom, we are directed, aided, changed and eventually grown up.38 And aren't you and I both grateful for that!

If there is a pattern in Scripture regarding whispers, it is that we serve a communicating G.o.d-a G.o.d of words. He created with a word, he healed with a word, he encouraged with a word, he rebuked with a word, he guided with a word, he prophesied with a word, he a.s.sured with a word, he loved with a word, he served with a word and he comforted with a word. Throughout all of history, G.o.d has communicated, and he still is at it today. The issue isn't whether or not G.o.d is speaking; it's whether we will have ears to hear what he says.

As I hope you have seen in this little trek through biblical history, Scripture is packed with powerful texts that demonstrate the whispering ways of G.o.d. But perhaps my favorite is the story of a murderer-turned-minister, a man known to us as the apostle Paul.

For the majority of his early days, Paul went by the name of Saul, a righteous Pharisee consumed with bitterness and rage toward people of "the Way," as Christ-followers were known in those days. Saul hated Christians and everything they stood for, and he plotted to find legal ways to have them arrested or even killed. One morning, his revulsion having reached fever pitch, he decided to pay a visit to Damascus, home of many converts to Christianity. Before departing, Saul asked the high priest in Jerusalem for permission to capture and perhaps kill any Christians he happened to encounter along the way. "Permission granted," Saul must have thought. "Nothing can stop me now!"

Little did he know, a minor diversion awaited him as the Damascan skyline came into view.

Acts 9 tells the tale of Saul and his entourage riding along the road, when suddenly a bright, terrifying light from heaven consumes Saul, knocks him off his horse and throws him to the ground. Once he catches his breath, he tries to get his feet back under him. But the task gets a little more complicated when Saul discovers he can no longer see.

Some texts refer to the light that blinded Saul that day as possessing the brightness of the sun-think of the piercing intensity of a welder's torch, and then multiply that by a thousand. Understandably, the concentration of that shaft of light sent Saul staggering to the sand, which is precisely where he received whisper number one from G.o.d. "Saul, Saul," a voice said, "why do you persecute me?"39 Face down on the ground and blind, Saul had no idea where the voice came from. "Lord, who are you?"40 he asked. It was a reasonable question, really. "I am Jesus Christ" came the declaration in response, "the one you have been persecuting!"41 Jesus might as well have added, "I am alive and well, thank you very much. I am resurrected, and here I am, with you on this road. And today, my friend, I have a few things I'd like to say."

NOW, ANOTHER PART OF THIS STORY ADDS CRITICAL DIMEN-sion to its plot. In the same city of Damascus, where Jesus told Saul to go and await further instructions, there lived a man named Ananias, who likely was on Paul's short list of people to capture and kill; Ananias was not only a Christ-follower, but a devoted one at that.

Acts 9:10a12 says that G.o.d spoke to Ananias in a vision, telling him to go to Saul and deliver a message. G.o.d even provides the address where Saul is staying-the house of Judas on Straight Street. "He's there praying," G.o.d explained. "He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again" (MSG).

G.o.d may have been calm, cool and collected about the whole deal, but Ananias thought differently of things. "Hey, G.o.d," he essentially said, "I don't know if you've neglected to keep up with the daily news or what, but Saul's name is all over the headlines. He's a terrorist, and the whole reason he's in town is to destroy the church that I attend. If you think I'm going to actually seek him out, well, then one of us is crazy!"

Ananias delineated all of the reasons why his answer to G.o.d's instruction was no, but G.o.d stood by his one-word reply: "Go." And Ananias went.

G.o.d instructed Ananias to tell Saul that Saul was a "chosen instrument," that he would be used to proclaim the name of Christ to many people, and that in doing so, he would suffer greatly for Jesus' sake-that's it, just three little messages that needed to be delivered-by a Christian, to the greatest Christian-hater of the day.

HAD SAUL NOT OBEYED HIS WHISPER FROM G.o.d, ANANIAS could not have obeyed the one he himself received. Back on the road to Damascus as Saul lay there blinded by the light, G.o.d had issued him a triad of instructions, as well: "Get up, Saul. Go into the city. And wait."

Saul now had a decision to make. What would he do with the direction he'd been given? He's a tough guy-should he just stand up, shake his fist at heaven and say, "Is that your best shot?"

In perhaps the wisest move of Saul's life to that point, he chose the other path. The text says that he rose, he was led into the city by his band of brothers (who were probably shocked to be leading their once-fearless, now-helpless leader), and he waited for whatever would happen next.

I am convinced that one of the major reasons a one-time terrorist wound up becoming one of the most impactful Christian leaders in history is because he chose the path of obedience. On day one, when Jesus asked him to do three little things, he did them. And that step of initial obedience began a pattern of submission to the will and ways of G.o.d. Despite the eventual respect among believers that Saul-now Paul-would come to enjoy, the apostle Paul never got too seasoned, sophisticated or smart to do anything less than that which Jesus whispered for him to do. How I wish the same always could be said of me!

There are seasons when I am "meticulously obedient" to the will and whispers of G.o.d, and then there are times when I'm sure I know a better way. Still, I try to keep coming back to my heavenly Father with open hands, an open heart and a keener interest in whatever insights he is willing to share. "G.o.d, if there is something you would like me to do," I prayed recently, "then please say so. It doesn't matter what it is; I'll do it."

Wouldn't you know it? He actually took me up on that prayer.

Lynne and I had just come from a funeral home across town after saying our final farewells to my aunt. As we approached our car, I spotted a frail, elderly woman pulling into the nearby apartment complex. She parked her car and began to slowly and laboriously pull grocery bags out of her trunk. "How about helping that woman with her groceries?" the Holy Spirit seemed to prompt.

I initially brushed past the whisper because Lynne was with me and we were ready to go. But I had just made that offer to G.o.d, "If there is something you would like me to do..." I knew I had to comply.

"Lynne," I said, "I've got this little pact going with G.o.d, and I need to go help that woman with her groceries for a minute..."

My wife tried to conceal her dumbfounded expression, but I saw it peeking through. You probably know the look, the one that says, "You? Living at your pace? Helping someone you don't even know? Wow. It must be G.o.d."

I approached the elderly woman. "Can I give you a hand with your groceries?" I asked.

"Oh, yes! Thank you!" she said, relieved.

The driveway leading back to her apartment recently had been seal-coated and was roped off, meaning residents had to walk a few hundred yards just to get from their cars to their homes. I knew that this small act of kindness would honor G.o.d and help meet a real need; what I didn't know was that those grocery sacks boasted thirty pounds of fresh peaches each.

Pretending the added weight didn't affect me a bit, I said, "All set here. You lead the way."

She began winding through backyards that had become swamps due to recent rains, but drenched dress shoes would be the least of my worries that afternoon. The woman was extremely arthritic and slow-moving. On top of that, she had some sort of emphysema that forced us to take a breather every forty-five seconds or so. It took us a full thirty minutes to make our way to her apartment, and by the time we arrived, we were tight. I had learned more about this dear woman's life than I could ever have hoped to know.

We entered her modest home, and I made my way to the kitchen, where I set the sacks on the counter before turning to shake her hand and then let myself out through the front door. The woman left her bony, wrinkled hand in mine long after the handshake was done. "I will believe to my dying day that G.o.d sent you to help me just now," she said.

The whole deal felt so inglorious-the wet feet, the longer-than-expected trek, the lack of any earth-shattering results-and yet as I walked away from the apartment complex, something in my spirit felt right. G.o.d had whispered a simple instruction my way, and this time I had actually slowed down enough to listen. There is no greater feeling in the world than to hear-and heed-G.o.d's voice.

I often talk with people around Willow or in the community who are exploring the Christian faith. During those conversations, it is not uncommon for me to hear tales about how they are going about their normal daily routines when "weird stuff" starts happening to them. They report feeling restless in life or less satisfied with the direction they're headed. The "fun" they used to have doesn't feel quite as fun anymore. They grow weary of the way things are and wonder if there might be more to life. And typically it's in a moment like this when they finally agree to come to church.

On some occasions, I'll ask folks like these, "Do you think anyone is orchestrating those ideas that float through your mind? I mean, do you think your thoughts are just random, or is it possible that G.o.d is trying to communicate to you in some way?"

Usually, they think it's all random. Which usually is when I beg to differ.

"When the circ.u.mstances of your life start to s.h.i.+ft," I suggest, "at least consider that it might be due to G.o.d. When you find yourself in a state of confusion or curiosity about the way things are going, go ahead and ask him if there's something he'd like to say to you. Open your hands, open your heart, heighten your attentiveness to any small way he might want to communicate to you, and then agree in advance that you will comply with whatever he says. Why not give it a shot? What's the downside?"

I have come to believe over time that it is the little acts of obedience that invite G.o.d's power to fully flow in our lives. When you and I prove ourselves faithful with the small whispers, he entrusts us with bigger ones. And when we follow through on those big ones, big kingdom results can be gained. This is what Ananias experienced firsthand, on that day when Saul became Paul. Back to our text.

ACTS 9:17a19 SAYS, "THEN ANANIAS WENT TO THE HOUSE and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord-Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here-has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength."

G.o.d had whispered specific instruction to Saul, and Saul had followed through. G.o.d also had told Ananias what he wanted him to do, and despite his initial hesitancy, that man too would cooperate.

I have read this pa.s.sage of Scripture many times, and with each reading I find myself trembling just a bit. Think about it: a highly intelligent (though completely misdirected) man-who will someday become a powerful force in the hand of Almighty G.o.d-is lying blind on a bed with no clue what he is to do next-other than to wait. If someone could only deliver a small dose of knowledge-a divine insight to him-the blind man not only will regain his sight but will eventually change the whole world for good. Ananias delivers that small dose of knowledge, and Saul goes on to write two-thirds of the New Testament; he plants churches that will have lasting impact; he leaves a legacy, not of bitterness and rage, but of boldness and righteousness and faith. Lost people are saved, believers are encouraged, churches are strengthened and entire communities experience times of great peace, all because two men hear G.o.d's whispers and have the guts to respond.

I imagine G.o.d cheering from heaven's balcony as he watched Ananias enter the home where Saul lay anxiously awaiting the arrival of a man he'd never met. "You were so ecstatic about your license to kill," I picture G.o.d saying to Saul, "but I can do you one better than that! You're about to be granted a license to help millions of people throughout history live. You now have full access to grace. Full access to love. Full access to power. Full access to fulfillment. Stay close to me, Saul, and you will want for nothing. I will care for you. I will protect you. I will provide for you. And while we're at it, I'll even give you a new name. Paul-that's who you are now...Paul, my brand-new creation."

Some time ago, on the heels of re-reading Paul's story, I held coaching meetings in Chicago with several pastors from across the nation. Typically we just talk pastor stuff-how to lead effectively, how to survive a down economy, how to balance the needs of disciples.h.i.+p amid very busy schedules-but that day I decided to start the session by taking a different tack. "How did you come to faith in Christ?" I asked the group. We went around the room and each person told their story, an hour comprising fascinating tales of faith. Eventually, the last pastor took his turn. "I came from a family that had no use whatsoever for G.o.d," he said, "but there was a devoted Christian family that happened to live next door."

This Christian couple had received a prompting from G.o.d to invite his family to come to church with them. Not surprisingly, his parents said no. "Actually," the pastor explained, "they said, 'We want nothing to do with your G.o.d, we want nothing to do with your church and we want nothing to do with you. Now leave us alone.'"

While his parents spewed their response at the next-door neighbors, this pastor, who was a young boy at the time, happened to be standing in the entryway of his house, hearing every discourteous word. He walked up to his dad, yanked on his dad's untucked s.h.i.+rt and said, "Hey, Dad. I'll go."

In a flash of insight, it occurred to the parents that if they allowed their son to go to church, they'd get free babysitting for much of the day. Suddenly, they weren't so opposed to the idea of these "crazy Christians" coming to their home. "You will?" his dad asked. The son nodded sincerely. "Oh. Well, then...okay," the father said, eyeing the Christian couple. "I guess you can take our boy with you, if that's what you want to do."

Every week-week after week-all through that boy's junior high years, the next-door neighbors stopped by on Sunday morning and gave the son a ride to church. Once the young man was in high school, he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. From there he went to college, earned his degree and decided to start a church-a church that now includes thousands of wors.h.i.+pers on the east coast of the United States.

Again, it all traces back to one whisper that one couple chose to obey. They made it a priority to live life with one ear open to heaven, and since then, through their impact on one young man, many have come to faith.

And the same G.o.d who whispered a word to them wants to help direct your every step too. Just like the kings and prophets and apostles who have gone before us, you and I can hear straight from G.o.d. He will dwell among us, Exodus 29:43a46 promises. He will remain the Lord our G.o.d. And it is this G.o.d of whom author Dallas Willard writes, "People are meant to live in an ongoing relations.h.i.+p with, speaking and being spoken to."42 SEVERAL YEARS AGO AT A RESTAURANT, I WAS HELPING A NEW believer pray aloud for the very first time. "Just close your eyes, think of G.o.d and tell him what is on your mind," I a.s.sured this man. "He will listen to you. Just say whatever you're led to say."

He stared at me incredulously for a few seconds with a look that seemed to convey, "But you're the pastor! Don't I have to hook something up to you? Aren't you going to sprinkle some magic dust or light some sort of incense to help me get this thing done?"

Essentially the guy was wondering if he actually had access to G.o.d. He knew what kind of life he had led, and it was a colorful one to be sure. What's more, he now understood just how holy and righteous G.o.d is, and he couldn't reconcile the two. "Who am I, to be given speaking rights with the King of the universe?" he wondered. "Why would G.o.d listen to me and talk to me? Why would he give me the time of day?"

Our lunch had come and my food was getting cold. I closed my eyes and bowed my head to communicate my silent response: "Sink or swim, buddy. You're on your own."

He sat there uncomfortably for a few seconds before his shaky voice finally piped up. It was a simple prayer but it was sincere. And when at last he said, "Amen," he opened his eyes, looked at me overjoyed, and said, "I did it! I talked to G.o.d!"

I bet he remembers that prayer still today.

It's a concept I believe was at the heart of Jesus' message to his disciples when he preached the Sermon on the Mount. "Ask and it will be given to you," he says in Matthew 7:7a8. "Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened."

When I read that pa.s.sage, I imagine Jesus looking into the eyes of people who said they loved the Father and thinking, "I only wish you knew him better."

Jesus had taught his followers how to live for G.o.d, how to stack up treasure in the right places, how to avoid s.e.xual immorality, how to serve selflessly and so forth. But if only they really knew the heart of his Father more, their own hearts would absolutely melt. "If you knew of my Father's strong inclination toward you," I imagine him thinking, "it would alter your entire spiritual orientation. You would give him all of your life. You would wors.h.i.+p him in spirit and in truth. You would trust him with your days and weeks. You would strain to hear his voice. My Father is available, he is approachable and he is waiting to talk to you now."

Keep in mind that for the group to whom Jesus was speaking when he delivered his hillside talk, this news came as a real surprise. The idea that ordinary people could talk directly to G.o.d was staggering. It went against hundreds of years of religious tradition in which they needed an intermediary to talk to G.o.d for them. "No priest is required?" they must have asked, just to be sure they had the new deal straight.

"No priest required," Jesus' message confirmed. "There are no hoops to jump through, no rituals to entertain, no sacrifices to tend to and no ceremonial purification rights to respect. You can come boldly before my Father's throne and receive an audience with Almighty G.o.d."

I can only imagine the inner turmoil this caused for the crowd that day. Perhaps it is causing you a little trauma as well. Depending on what faith system you grew up in, it is possible that what you are reading on these pages seems downright illegal, or at least blasphemous and brash. But I promise you it's the truth of Scripture: because of Jesus Christ's work on the cross, there is no red tape between you and G.o.d.

He is available.

He is approachable.

And he stands ready to talk to you now.

The writer of Hebrews put it this way: "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus...let us draw near to G.o.d with a sincere heart in full a.s.surance of faith."43 In the next chapter, you'll meet a handful of men and women who are striving to live this way. They are working to improve their batting average of hearing-and heeding-the whispers of G.o.d. Whatever aspect of life seems to be weighing you down today, you can bring that burden before G.o.d. What Jesus was so sure of, we can know for sure too. G.o.d is available. He is approachable. And he is ready to talk to you now. Your move!

CHAPTER 3.

EVIDENCE FROM EVERYWHERE.

ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, ROB CATALDO was copiloting a Boeing 767 for a major U.S. carrier, en route from Chicago to San Francisco. The day began as they all do when Rob is flying, with a preflight briefing with the captain, a thorough check of the aircraft and completion of the paperwork that authorizes them for departure. But soon enough, a.s.sumptions of "all things usual" quickly would fade away.

Somewhere over eastern Nebraska, Rob received a message from his airline via the jet's...o...b..ard computer that a Cessna and a Boeing 737 had collided over lower Manhattan. The information seemed questionable at best. A quick check of the weather in the New York City area-bright suns.h.i.+ne and cloudless blue skies-made Rob wonder if the single-engine plane had wandered into New York's airs.p.a.ce without having permission from air-traffic control.

While his mind turned over the data, further messages would clear things up. Within minutes the dispatcher reported that there was "trouble with a plane from our fleet." Rob immediately searched for the flight records for the troubled plane, only to discover that those records had been secured by his company and were inaccessible.

"That's when I knew that something was terribly wrong," Rob says. "And the worst was yet to come."

As Rob deepened his breathing and put his senses on high alert, another message suddenly came through. "Every aircraft that is on this frequency will land at the nearest suitable airport as soon as possible," came the instruction from air-traffic control. Simultaneously his airline sent their own instructions: due to suspected terrorist hijacking activity, every pilot was to secure their c.o.c.kpit immediately. Under no circ.u.mstance were they to permit entry to anyone. Throughout the company's fleet, pilots closed and locked their c.o.c.kpit doors and began planning their descent.

Rob and the captain had a perfect diversion airport in Denver, but it would take another hour to get there. That remaining hour is one they won't easily forget. "My stomach is in knots," the captain told Rob. But Rob felt strangely calm; moments before the fearful admission from his flying mate, Rob had received a one-sentence whisper from G.o.d. "Rob, I have never let you down before," the whisper said, "and you can trust me that I never will."

"G.o.d undeniably whispered to me that day," Rob says. "I should have been a basket case, but my Father gave me a deep sense of peace." Rob flew to his destination confident in the truth that whatever happened, G.o.d was with him.

Note that for Rob and his teammate, the circ.u.mstances had not suddenly improved. The hijacking threat still existed, and the pilots still had to get the plane on the ground quickly and safely-which they did. But the team in the c.o.c.kpit were flying with two totally different perspectives: one fear, one faith. Hearing G.o.d's whisper matters.

Rob is part of Willow's congregation, and for years he has heard my challenges to live in every circ.u.mstance of life with one ear toward heaven. For him, doing so made a huge difference during one of the most frightening experiences of his life. Amazing!

Several months ago, I sent an email to the entire congregation at Willow, asking them to describe a time when they had heard a whisper from heaven and then to explain how they had responded to that whisper.

I sent the email on a Friday afternoon; by Monday my inbox was bulging with more than five hundred heartfelt replies.

Some of the respondents described the recent promptings they had received, and others ventured back in time, explaining that some of the most important, meaningful input they've been given in life happened years or even decades ago. The topics ran the gamut-vocational, relational, spiritual, physical, medical, financial and more. The tone of the whispers varied as well-sometimes G.o.d offered words of gentle affirmation, and other times he issued stiff challenges.

Far more women than men sent in their responses, which I found interesting and actually a little troubling. It may be that women are simply more willing email correspondents, but I fear that the "I can handle anything" worldview claimed by many men gives them a bias against outside help-even when that help comes in the form of a whisper from G.o.d. So if you're of the male persuasion, I'm offering you a special challenge to take this chapter seriously.

As I soaked up the extraordinary evidence of G.o.d's interactions with us, I thanked him for speaking not just during creation and throughout the course of biblical days, but also "today," in our fast-paced, high-tech twenty-first-century world. A sampling of those modern-day whisper stories appears in the pages that follow, and my hope is that these nudges from G.o.d will help you make more sense of the nudges you receive. As well, I hope that reading these firsthand tales will inspire you to start living "wide open" to G.o.d in all areas of your life. I've lumped them into broad categories-whispers of a.s.surance, whispers of admonition, whispers of action-for continuity's sake, but I trust as you plow through them, you'll see how uniquely G.o.d speaks to the men and women who have devoted their lives to him.

Whispers of a.s.surance