The Voice of God

My dear friend Penny Cave has such an appetite for the Word of God. In turn, she notices how God speaks to her in unique ways. One of which we all probably have and rarely take notice of. I’ve asked Penny to share with you today and I know you will be encouraged by her message in The Voice of God:

One of my favorite sounds to hear on a warm summer evening is that of my wind chimes that hang off the eaves of the roof on my back porch.  I could sit for hours just listening and daydreaming to the soft, gentle tinkling of the tubes as they brush against the clapper.  My wind chimes are metal, and they make a sort of “tinny” bell-like sound when the wind blows.  There’s really no rhyme or reason to the melody they play, but for some strange reason hearing them brings me comfort and peace.

Wind chimes can produce a variety of sounds.  Sometimes they make soft tinkling sounds like I just described.  This is my favorite.  It’s soothing to the soul and results from just the slightest of breezes.  Sometimes, though, when there is a strong wind – perhaps a storm is coming – they make a strong clashing sound, a clattering, ear-piercing sound beckoning me to take cover from the storm.  Still, at other times, it’s sort of in between the tinkling and the clanging, sounding more like a dinner bell calling out – “Time to eat!”  But no matter the type of tintinnabulation, the chimes speak to me.

The history of the wind chimes is very long and dates back thousands of years.  Archaeologists have found the remains of wind chimes made from bone, wood, bamboo, and shells in part of Southeast Asia that date back to around 3,000 B.C.   Still others have dated back to circa 5,000 B.C.  Amazing!  These delicate instruments had several uses.  The Chinese believed the sound of bells or chimes would ward off evil spirits.  They would often hang wind chimes around pagodas and shrines to keep evil away.  Another important use for them was for sending out warning signals in the case of dangerous typhoons and tsunamis heading straight for land. In Indonesia, wind chimes took on a more practical approach and used them to scare birds away from their crops.  Many cultures believed wind chimes could also express emotions and could establish an atmosphere of peace and harmony.  Eventually, wind chimes spread to other regions and into other cultures.  From China to Japan to the Western World, wind chimes have evolved in design and purpose.

Wind chimes are often associated with many types of religions and spiritual influences.  While they are not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, there are references to similar musical instruments.  Bells and harps, cymbals and trumpets, the lyre and the pipe – these are just a few of which the Bible speaks.  These instruments were used in many ways – for praise, for temple worship, and for battle.  King David often found joy and comfort in song and expressed his heart and soul to the Lord through music. 

“I will sing a new song, O God;

upon a ten-stringed harp

I will play to you.”

Psalm 144: 9

Anyone who knows me knows that music has always been a big part of my life.  Thanks to my mother, I grew up in a house filled with music. As a paid church musician for more than thirty years, I have had the opportunity to experience the joy and comfort similar to King David.  So often, I could hear the voice of Jesus in song.  Music would many times speak to me as if God Himself were talking.  The music I made was instrumental in nature, but the words came from God.  My wind chimes speak to me in the same way.  When I hear their sound, no matter if they are tinkling or clanging, I can hear the voice of God.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

“Come unto Me and rest;

Lay down, O weary one

Lay down your head upon My breast.”

I came to Jesus as I was

So weary, worn, and sad.

I found in Him a resting place,

And He has made me glad.

“He has made me glad.”  That is what I am filled with, the gladness from God, when I hear the music from my wind chimes because He speaks to me through them.

Wind chimes are powered by the wind, and the wind is often used as a metaphor for communication between God and Man.  The Bible shares many scriptures that prove this to us. One scripture passage is from the book of Genesis 3: 8 – 9:

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as

He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the

LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man,

“Where are you?”

What did God sound like as He walked in the garden?  Could you hear His voice as He called out to the man? Was it the sound of the wind?  Was it a soft breeze? 

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,

Calling for you and for me.

Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling,

Calling, O sinner, come home.

In the Bible, wind often symbolizes the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit came down from Heaven on the Day of Pentecost, it was in the form of a mighty, rushing wind.  Perhaps it was like the sound of the wind chimes in strong winds letting us know that something unusual was approaching.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind,

And it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Acts 2: 2

God speaks through the wind.  There’s a passage in 1 Kings 19 where Elijah hears God’s voice, but he hears it after experiencing several strong winds.  It’s almost as if he had to wait for the clamor to pass before he could hear God speak.

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.”

And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains

And broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind;

And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;

And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire;

And after the fire a still small voice.

So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out

And stood in the entrance to the cave.

God spoke through a whisper – a soft, gentle breeze. 

The Bible suggests that God speaks to us in many ways.  Sometimes it’s through grand physical phenomena and sometimes through a still small voice.  God speaks to us in a variety of ways.  He speaks to me in a variety of ways but especially through my wind chimes. 

How does He speak to you?  Is it in a gentle breeze?  Is it in a mighty rushing wind? 

Listen closely, and you will hear the voice of God speaking to you.