Speak, Lord, In The Stillness

Speak, Lord, in the stillness,

While I wait on Thee;

Hushed my heart to listen

In expectancy.

Speak, O blessed Master,

In this quiet hour,

Let me see Thy face, Lord,

Feel Thy touch of power.

For the words Thou speakest,

“They are life” indeed;

Living Bread from heaven,

Now my spirit feed!

All to Thee is yielded,

I am not my own;

Blissful, glad surrender,

I am Thine alone.

Fill me with the knowledge

Of Thy glorious will;

All Thine own good pleasure

In my life fulfill.

EMILY MAY GRIMES (1868–1927)

GOD REVEALED HIMSELF mightily to the prophet Elijah, sending fire to burn the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. But later, as Elijah moped on the mountain, the Lord taught him an important lesson. There was a wind, an earthquake, and a fire—but the Lord was not in any of these. Then came a still, small voice. That was how God chose to speak to His prophet.

The same is true today. We long for fire from heaven to silence skeptics once and for all, but God doesn’t usually work that way. Long ago He revealed Himself as a helpless baby sleeping in a dirty feed trough, and today He speaks quietly to ordinary people like you and me—if only we are still enough to listen.

[Eli] said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went back to bed. And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

1 Samuel 3:9-10