(To listen to the podcast as you read, and to hear the complete song, Still Small Voice, at the conclusion, click here.)
In the 1800’s people would use the exclamation, “Jiminy Cricket” as a substitute for saying, “Jesus Christ,” when they were surprised. The expression was used in the 1937 movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and even Dorothy says it in the Wizard of Oz in that 1939 film production. When Walt Disney told the Italian story called “Pinocchio,” in 1940, Walt named the talking bug in the story Jiminy Cricket.
Now Jiminy in the Pinocchio story serves as Pinocchio’s conscience, helping him know right from wrong. It’s interesting that this small green insect who is smartly dressed carries a name like Jesus Christ and he imitates the role of the Holy Spirit. In the movie he sings a song about wishing upon a star and getting whatever your heart wished for. So let me get this straight- we’ve got a character with a name that refers to Jesus indirectly, who helps you determine right from wrong and instructs you how to pray in a wishing form.
Now, I’m not going to build my theology around Disney movies, but it is fascinating how the world longs to have a personal relationship with something, or someone more wise and powerful than ourselves. You even have Pinocchio longing to be adopted by his maker Geppetto as his father; he wants to be a real boy and live to be a son.
In the summer of 2005, my two kids were five and seven years old, and we watched movies like Pinocchio. It was a season of serving in youth ministry, and I was doing quite a bit of teaching on hearing the voice of God. It was at that time that the Lord began to dictate a song to me about hearing His voice.
This Is The Story Behind The Song, “Still Small Voice.”
As I wrote this song, there was a longing to be closer to God so I can hear His whispers more clearly. In some ways I was longing for the Holy Spirit to play the role of my conscience like Jiminy did for Pinocchio.
When I consider that I am a loved son of my heavenly father, there is an intimacy and tenderness to connecting with Him and being guided by Him. That’s one side of hearing God’s voice that I experience and I long to grow in, that closeness to God.
The other side of God speaking is what we see in the Bible; creation speaking forth messages from God as well. The things that He has created speak messages for Him. These two themes of creation speaking of God and His whisper at the same time, come together in this piece of music.
Verse 1 Refers To The Still Small Voice.
This is a phrase from 1 Kings 19, where a depressed prophet named Elijah experiences God speaking in the following way. He is hiding in a cave so he won’t be killed by the evil queen, and God comes to speak to Him. Elijah experiences a violent wind that rips rocks apart, and then he experiences an earthquake that shakes everything, and then a raging wildfire.
He discerns that God’s voice was not heard in any of these big, dramatic natural occurrences, but it comes after that in the form of a still small voice that whispers to him. Since God speaks in a whisper, I believe we need to prioritize listening.
While God is always speaking to us, it’s our job to listen and obey. That’s what this first verse talks about. God’s heart is moved and broken over the many distractions we are surrounded by, and he sees these things as competitors to his voice- the noise in our culture, the distractions in our lives.
The first verse ends quoting Jesus,
“The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6).
Verse 1
My still small voice, is whispering your name
It’s still your choice, to listen and obey
My heart has seen that many things, compete with what I say
I will give you words of life, I’m speaking everyday
So while the phrase ‘still small voice’ comes from I Kings 19, it’s Psalm 19 that provides some of the phrases for the chorus.
It's Hebrews 12 that tells us that God's voice shakes the heavens and the earth. The reference to the earthquake in 1 Kings 19 appears here in the chorus as well. While our God is intimately close to us, we must remember that He is the Maker and the King of the entire Universe with unimaginable power and might. Creation powerfully speaks to us about who God is. God is always revealing Himself through creation, so much so, that Romans 1 tells us that this natural revelation dismisses any excuse that humans have about who God is.
God Has So Many Reasons To Speak To Us.
One very important reason is to calm our doubts and fears. God says in His Word 365 times, “Do not be afraid.” That’s an average of one time per day of the year. I think God is trying to make a point: we will struggle with fear, and yet he says, "do not be afraid". This song highlights this battle against fear that God so often speaks about.
In John 4, Jesus tells us that he confirmed his message with miracles – the great things that God does, even in creation – strengthens our faith. That kind of powerful God asks us for our attention, our listening ear.
Chorus
The heavens are telling the story, of my magnificent glory
The earthquakes, creation shakes at the sound of my name
My voice is calling out, to calm your fear and doubt,
My works are on display, to strengthen your faith, so listen, to what I have to say
Verse 2 refers to the still small voice whispering, not making demands and shouting at us. We have free choice to listen or not, to obey or not. As humans, God honors us by giving us the right to choose – choose to listen, choose to obey, choose to follow Him, or to walk away.
Jesus then assures us in this song that He hears all the things that we say to Him in prayer. Isaiah goes to Hezekiah (in the Old Testament) with a word from the Lord that says, “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.” (2 Kings 20) I love the fact that God even sees our tears. 1 John 5 says, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” He is a God who hears. He is always listening.
Verse 2
Your still small voice, is whispering my name
It’s still your choice, to hear what I will say
You have said so many things, as you knelt and prayed
I am always listening, so do not be afraid
After a reprise of the chorus, the bridge reminds us that God has been walking with us every moment of every day of our existence – even as we were being formed in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139). It is the promise of his presence with us that brings me the most peace.
Bridge
I’ve whispered to your heart, from the very start
I am with you each and everyday
The end of the song departs musically to draw us in to hear a still small voice. There is a reference to creation singing here, and an invitation to hear the music of heaven that glorifies Jesus. I use the words, “Incline your ear” and those are often used in the Psalms as a way to invite others to lean in to listen to His voice.
When you do become still and lean in to listen, you will hear God calling you by name. These aren’t just generic words that we tune in to hear like we are tuning in a radio station. God’s words to us are personal, powerful, and they bring life and truth to us.
End Tag
My voice rings, as nature sings of my great love
Incline your ear, and you will hear, me call your name
I am speaking words of truth,
I am speaking words of life,
I am speaking words to you …
Most Jesus followers don’t believe they can hear God’s voice. But it was Jesus himself who said in John 10:27,
My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.
Jesus calls himself,
The Good Shepherd, Who Lays His Life Down For The Sheep.
He calls us sheep, and tells us that when we listen, we will hear his voice. He doesn’t say, some of the sheep will hear my voice. Later in John’s gospel, Jesus explains that He will send the Holy Spirit to come and dwell within us. It is because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we can “hear” God’s voice. We can sense his promptings and feel his leading. And since God is living inside us, we have something infinitely better than a cricket on our shoulder serving as our conscience.
As you listen to this song all together, I want you to close your eyes and realize that Jesus is inviting you into a process of learning to hear His voice in new ways.
We are starting a sermon series this week called, Still Small Voice, hearing and discerning God’s spoken word. Consider joining us live on Sunday mornings or online to grow in your ability to hear His “still small voice.”
Our Sunday Morning Worship Service at 10:00 a.m. is in the Dome.
You can live stream our service on Facebook and YouTube at 10:00 a.m.
