Daily Devo

Which Whisper?

By: Kelly Russell

Monday, August 18, 2025

After the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:12

In this passage, Elijah stood on the mountain awaiting God’s instruction. There, he saw the forces of nature through wind, earthquake, and fire. But God did not reveal Himself through those displays. It was only afterward that Elijah experienced the profound presence of God through a gentle, intimate whisper. This story reminds us that whispers carry power, but not always from the same source. A whisper can come from the heart of God or the pit of hell. To really hear a whisper, you must be close enough to feel the breath of the person talking.

God often speaks in unconventional ways. We know that His ways are not like ours, yet we often try to finagle them to fulfill our desires. Our natural man rebels against circumstances designed to produce submission. To hear God clearly, we must learn to be still and listen for the Holy Spirit to speak through the noise that surrounds us. Though an unguarded mind leads toward negative thoughts, we can stand firm in God’s mighty power to cast down everything in opposition to His character and promises.

And the enemy whispers too, with very different intentions. Satan doesn’t announce his arrival. Instead, he distorts the Truth just enough for his whispers to sound believable. He reminds us of our sin to bait us into shame, fear, and unrest. That’s why Scripture teaches that we must be vigilant of his sneaky, subtle approach to devour us. When we grow complacent about the devil’s schemes, we inadvertently open the door for him to come right in. Thankfully, the Truths of God’s Word transforms our minds. This process involves “untraining” ourselves from carnal thoughts. The Bible is a supernatural tool that reshapes our thinking to help us operate in the mind of Christ.

So how do we know which whispers are trustworthy?

-God always brings encouragement, clarity, and fellowship.

-Satan only offers condemnation, confusion, and isolation.

These whispers are constantly competing for our attention. The question is, which whisper do you entertain? Use the Bible as your filter. Know the Word, Meditate on the Word, Do the Word.

Satan may be our adversary, but Jesus is our advocate. The voice of Truth always silences the lies of the enemy. I encourage you to create space for God’s whispers to be heard louder than the rolling thunder. Ask for spiritual sensitivity to discern which whispers speak life and then lean in to listen.

Read: 1 Kings 19:9-13, Proverbs 16:28, 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5, Philippians 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:10