The Still, Small Voice of Love
Many voices ask for our attention. There is a voice that says, “Prove that you are a good person.”
Another voice says, “You’d better be ashamed of yourself.” There also is a voice that says, “Nobody really cares about you”, and one that says, “Be sure to become successful, popular, and powerful.”
But underneath all these often very noisy voices is a still, small voice that says, “You are my Beloved, my favor rests on you.”
That’s the voice we need most of all to hear. To hear that voice, however, requires special effort; it requires solitude, silence, and a strong determination to listen. That’s what prayer is. It is listening to the voice that calls us “my Beloved.”
—Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bread for the Journey
Every day, we are bombarded by voices—some loud, some subtle, all demanding our attention. Prove yourself. Fix yourself. Shame on you. Do more, be more, succeed. These voices wear us down and leave us questioning our worth. But beneath the noise, if we quiet ourselves long enough, there is another voice—gentle, steady, and true. It is the voice of God, calling us His Beloved. That voice doesn’t push us to perform; it invites us to rest in love.
Hearing that voice, though, takes intention. It requires stepping away from the rush, embracing silence, and listening with our hearts in prayer. In that stillness, we discover who we really are—not defined by success or failure, but by the love of the One who created us. Today, make space to listen. Push past the clamor and lean in. God is speaking. And what He wants you to know most is this: You are loved. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics