A whisperer is one who whispers. I’m not referring to the kind of whisperer who is a tattler, who tells secrets or is a backbiter. I’m referring to someone who excels at calming or training hard-to-manage animals using gentle vocal encouragement and calm body language. Many times we may think of a dog whisperer or a horse whisperer. These whisperers adopt a sympathetic view of the motives, needs, and desires of the animal. Jesus is that kind of whisperer.
Only Jesus excels at calming us hard-to-manage people. He adopts a compassionate view of our motives, needs, and desires. He whispers gently and quietly, but if we’re not quiet, we’ll most likely miss His gentle vocal encouragement and counsel.
Interestingly, we may not believe we are that person who is “hard-to-manage.” Unfortunately, we are. I think every single person has been “that” person on more than one occasion. Me included.
We’re told to not quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19), yet we do.
How? You ask? With all of our arguing, fighting, yelling, and noisy, noisy lives. We live in such a noise-infested world, I believe we miss Jesus’ whisper.
In Ecclesiastes 3, we’re told there is a time for silence. I believe one of those times is intentional choosing to turn off the noise, sit down with God and listen for His whisper. If we have so much noise on all the time, surely we’re stifling the Spirit’s whisper to us. If we’re arguing and fighting with one another, we’re definitely stifling God’s whisper.
Jesus tells us that we are to proclaim from our rooftops what is whispered in our ears (Matthew 10:27). How are we supposed to do that if we can’t hear His whisper?
Are we afraid to hear what Jesus wants to whisper to us? I think many people are afraid, but we don’t need to be afraid of what Jesus whispers to us because “the words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body” (Proverbs 26:22, ESV).
Jesus wants to comfort us. He wants to counsel us. He wants to calm us down. But He needs us to be quiet long enough for Him to do that. In fact, He says,
“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
When Jesus says “Be still,” He means, be quiet, not making a sound. Be calm. Stop moving. He wants silence from us and around us.
Can’t you just hear Him in that calm gentle soft voice say, “Shhhhhh! Be still, my child. Hushhhhh”?
He did pretty much that very thing with Elijah, the prophet. The Lord warned Elijah He would be passing by. There was a powerful wind that tore mountains apart and shattered rocks, an earthquake and then a major fire, but the Lord wasn’t in any of that. He came after in a gentle whisper. Fortunately, Elijah heard God’s whisper. Then he pulled his cloak over his face and then went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. And that’s when our Lord gave Elijah counsel and direction in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19).
It is my hope for you this Advent season, that you will be still every day, listen for Jesus’ whisper, and know that He is God. May you choose to turn off all the noise, sit silently and calmly wait for His gentle encouraging voice. May you receive counsel, comfort, and care from Jesus The Whisperer.
Deb says
Thank you Michelle! Your blog is so uplifting, encouraging and needed reminders for me! I love reading your blog!
Michelle Barringer says
Thank you, Deb, for your encouragement. I’m humbled by your words. May the the Lord continue to encourage you.