The Still Small Voice

1st Kings 19:12
I heard it for the first time on Friday the 4th of December, 1987.
It was 3 days to my 19th birthday…
Before then, I never knew it existed.
I had become a Christian a few days earlier (Sunday the 29th of November), at an Outreach Program of Gentle Flame Church, Jos. I was an undergraduate of the University of Jos then.

When I became a Christian that Sunday, I was asked to come around for Follow Up on Wednesday. I was there with all the other new converts. We were counseled to read the Bible from the Gospel of John, to pray often and we were given a copy of Selwyn Hughes’ “Every Day with Jesus” Devotional.

I was a young man and a young Christian, I had no idea of the Holy and the Profane. I was still living my life as I knew to, but I had no idea that something had changed inside me.

I had lectures all week and on Friday, my friends and I organized a party. We got a venue off campus, raised money to buy food and drinks and got a car to ferry the invitees there.

Now, because we had just one car, it had to make several trips to and fro. So we thought it best to ferry the ladies first, we the guys would come later.

While the ladies were being moved to the party venue, we gathered in the room of one of us to play Chess while waiting for the vehicle to come for us.

As we took turns playing Chess, one of my friends brought out a pack of cigarettes, lit a stick and passed it around. The packet eventually got to me; I also picked a stick and put in my mouth…

It was then it dawned on me I had not smoked a cigarette since I became a Christian the last Sunday!
Woah!
And I didn’t notice until that day!
And I realized I had no desire to smoke that stick in my mouth!
I returned it to the pack and gave it to the next guy.

My friends noticed.
One asked why I was not smoking with them. I had no idea either, but I told him I just didn’t feel like.
We continued playing Chess…
Then suddenly I heard it.
The Still Small Voice.
It was small, it was soft, it was gentle.
It asked: “where are you going?”
I was startled.
I looked around, thinking my friends heard it too.
I then realized the voice was for me, in my spirit!
Woah!
What is going on here?
I replied; “I am going for a party!”
The Voice asked: “Why?”
I replied; “I’ve had a week of lectures, I just want to relax and have fun with my friends…”
The Voice asked: “When will you be going and when will you be back?”
I replied; “We should head out by 11pm, be back by 5am tomorrow.”
The Voice said: “That is 6 hours. Is this the best way to spend 6 hours of your life?”
And it was gone!
Woah!
I was barely 19 and I just went through the most life changing conversation in my life with a Voice in my head!
I stood there, watching 2 of my friends play Chess, the others watching with rapt attention.
I watched them all smoking and laughing, looking forward to having fun at a party in another hour, thereabouts…
Suddenly it dawned on me: I DON’T BELONG HERE! MY LIFE IS MORE THAN THIS!
I started unbuttoning my shirt.
“Guys, I won’t be going to this party again…”
Everyone was shocked!
“Harry, why? What’s going on?”
“When he didn’t smoke with us, I knew something was WRONG with him!”
No, bro! Actually, something just went RIGHT with me!
I left my stunned friends and went back to my room.
I got in and sat on my bed. I had no idea what was going on with me, but I KNEW something was indeed going on inside of me!
Then I heard it again:
The Voice!
“Now, why don’t you use the next 6 hours on something more profitable to you? Read My Word!”
That was when I realized who had been speaking to me all along: The Holy Spirit!
I picked up my Bible and started reading…
I read till dawn. I had no idea it was dawn until I looked up and saw a ray of sunlight wafting in through the curtains.
In that moment, an addiction for Scripture reading and study overshadowed me. I became so addicted to Scripture, I would do all night reading often. Selwyn Hughes’ Everyday with Jesus Devotional became inadequate for me.
I started reading the entire Bible in 4 months (10 Chapters per day).
The rest is history.
I have heard The Still Small Voice several times since then.
I still hear it till date.
But now I know whose Voice it is.
Now, are you a Christian? Do you recognize The Voice?
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my Voice” John 10:27.
The ability to hear (recognize) His Voice is what qualifies you to be His sheep.
Here’s the thing: the more of Scripture you know, the more you read it, the more you understand it, the more you recognize His Voice.
I realized that early in my Christian Walk and I took advantage of it.
I grabbed it with both hands!
And it has helped me tremendously over the last 35+ years.
Shalom!
Haruna Daniels.