"Nishmat kol chai tivarech et SHIMCHA."
(The breathing of all life praises your Name)

Whisper:
To speak with soft, hushed sounds, using the breath, lips, etc., but with no vibration of the vocal cords.
To produce utterance substituting breath for phonation.
To talk softly and privately.
(of trees, water, breezes, etc) To make a soft, rustling sound

It has taken me a long time to get around to writing about this word. I am not one who whispers much, so tailoring a ‘message’ around the word is a challenge. Never one to walk away from a challenge, I have shut up long enough to hear God speak.

YHWH, the original name of our Lord, spoken first to Moses in Exodus 3.15, “This is my Name forever and this is my memorial, the Name by which I am to be remembered by, from generation to generation for all generations."

It is impossible to speak the Word. With no vowels, nothing to form a word around with your mouth, the best one can do is breathe the name of the Lord. It’s not a name formed from English, Hebrew, Greek, or Arab. Rather, it is in a breath, which is a universal language of all living creatures.

Spoken most eloquently by Rabbi Arthur Waskow, “It is unpronounceable in my view not because we are forbidden to pronounce it, but because if one tries to do so, pronouncing these four strange letters (semi-vowels, semi-consonants; linguists call them aspirate consonants) WITHOUT any vowels, one simply breathes. The real Name is BEYOND pronunciation, unless you consider breathing pronunciation.”

Our Heavenly Father has a proper name, which is used 6823 times in the Old Testament, which cannot be shouted. His name speaks for itself without a need for exclamation. His renown is all the exclamation that is needed.

Those familiar with the Bible know the story of Elijah Elijah is feeling worthless and that the work he has done for the Lord was in vain. The Lord tells Elijah to go stand on the mountain because the Lord is about to pass by. A mighty wind passes by, but the Lord is not in the wind. A great earthquake comes, but the Lord is not in the earthquake. A fire appears, but the Lord is not in the fire. Then, a gentle blowing arrives, and the Lord is there.

The beauty of this story is that the Lord could have chosen to appear in all the mighty ways detailed, but He chose to show His glory in a gentle wind. He was the whisper of the wind through the trees.

Now, taking these things into consideration, do I really want the Lord to speak to me? I find myself surrounded by noise constantly. My husband and children speak to me, taking much of my attention. The television and radio occupy my eardrums, the computer my eyes and my brain. I find it almost unsettling to spend too much time in quiet. I justify it by telling myself I am great at multi-tasking, which is true to a point. But if the Lord will not shout…

Some people do not have this struggle, to which I am envious. However, for those people, and for myself if I discipline myself to the quiet, there are still some factors to consider:

Am I emotionally prepared to hear from the Lord? Will I be able to know it is Him? Am I ready for what He may have to say to me? Will I be interjecting my own thoughts and opinions into what I hear? Can I stand to hear the Truth?

Am I physically prepared to hear from the Lord? That may seem odd, but am I able to focus on clearing my head, not to ever leave it open and vulnerable, but in a place where I can meditate on the Lord alone? Can I calm down my hectic state long enough to wait on the Lord, rather than carving out an allotted time for Him?

Finally, am I spiritually prepared to hear from the Lord? Do I know His word well enough to know if what I am hearing is Truth? Again, can I recognize Him and not interject my own thoughts and call them His? Will I be able to handle it?

Perhaps I am alone on this, and everyone else has this figured out, but I think otherwise. If more of us were attuned to the Lord’s voice, we would be able to speak out more ourselves in the pure confidence He would be giving us. I know on the few occurrences I have heard from the Lord, it has been amazing and true. It is my fault I do not do it more.

I know if we were to hear from the Lord, we would be able to speak out against the horrid blaspheme going on in the media and on the streets these days. It is impossible not to hear our new president being called ‘the savior’ and ‘the messiah.’ It should and does send our spirits into utter revulsion. We know we have only one Savior and one Messiah, and it is certainly not our president. If we are the body, what are we doing?

It is being said on a daily basis that the president will rescue not only the country, but the world. He will bring peace, prosperity, love. All we have to do is watch, support and obey. And I do not consider any of that to be an exaggeration. Read the paper, watch the news. Listen to the radio.

I think it is high time for us to tune into the whispers of YHWH. He may be starting to reveal Himself in high definition to non-believers, but I believe He has something to whisper to His children now. The Hebrew word ‘meditate’ means to mumble whisper or reflect aloud. That sounds like the perfect conversation to have with our YHWH.

“My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.” Ezekiel 39.7

“For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; for how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another. Listen to me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.” Isaiah 48.10-12

“Then those who feared Yahweh spoke with one another; Yahweh heeded and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared Yahweh and thought on his name.” Malachi 3.16