I want to introduce you to a Ministry which might be new to you, but one from which my wife Adrianne and I continually draw insight, inspiration, and instruction.
At that moment, the LORD passed by.
… And there was a voice, a soft whisper.
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle
and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
1 KINGS 19:11-13 HCSB
Christian author and speaker Allison Cain writes a weekly Bible study/devotional which she makes available on her blog site and by email for those who sign up for the free subscription. Throughout these short, easily read studies, Allison practices what she encourages all of us to do — she looks around at the everyday occurrences in her own life, and then turns to Scripture to search out the “whats” and “hows” and “whys” located only there.
These drawn-from-life vignettes provide an immediate connection to her, and through her, to God’s word. Her style is informal, personal, humble, while at the same time determined, driven, and sometimes (when it’s needed) blunt. While absorbed in her writings, readers very soon are apt to smile and say, “Yep. I’ve been there. Felt that exact way.” From there, the teachings she brings from Scripture lift us to another whole level of perception about our everyday lives, which we might have easily missed, and been the poorer for.
Allison has adopted the following as the Mission for her ministry and (Adrianne and I know for a fact) for her own life: “Living at the foot of the cross, encouraging all women to see God in the ordinary.” I have only one quibble with this characterization, in that I know for certain we men can and should be blessed by her insights and teaching as well.
These intersections of scripture and one woman’s finding God in her daily life has caused her to listen acutely for God’s “whisper to my heart His desires and lessons for me” — and so she named her site The Whisper of God (1 KINGS 19:12). I truly think you will find comfort, strength, and uplifting by reading her offerings.
Most recently, she has completed a six-part series exploring aspects of the book of Jeremiah, and I have been particularly drawn to them. In them, she returns to the ancient prophet, to find that his words have elicited a combination of awe, expectation, inspiration, and revelation concerning her and our daily lives.
Here are all six of the Jeremiah studies. You can access any complete article by clicking on its title:
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29 DECEMBER 2015
WORD WATCHING : Here is what God lit up in lights for me to see – … for I watch over My word to accomplish it. This is the kind of revelation and reminder that keeps me coming back day after day to God’s word. We often envision God looking down on us and watching over us, but have you ever considered that He watches over His word so that it is accomplished?!
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5 JANUARY 2016
DIRTY UNDERWEAR : Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: “Take the underwear that you bought and are wearing, and go at once to the Euphrates and hide it in a rocky crevice.” So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me. The Lord has placed a lot of things on my heart over the years, but He has never urged me to purchase underwear, wear it for a while and then hide in under a rock by the creek in our backyard!
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13 JANUARY 2016
REPURPOSED : I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, working away at the wheel. But the jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potter’s hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do. God used this illustration to show Jeremiah how He could change His mind and relent from punishing the House of Israel IF they would turn from their evil ways. For me, it was a wonderful reminder that when I start down the wrong path I can always turn back to God so that He is able to make something new out of me.
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18 JANUARY 2016
UNDER THE HOOD : The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time: “The Lord who made the earth, the Lord who forms it to establish it, Yahweh is His name, says this: Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.” It’s a wonderful reminder for us that all we need to do is ask God for help, wisdom, grace, forgiveness, patience … the list goes on and on.
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25 JANUARY 2016
AN IRRIGATED GARDEN : Their life will be like an irrigated garden, and they will no longer grow weak from hunger. What a beautiful image of what our life can look like with God in it…. I don’t know about you, but I want my life to be like an irrigated garden that never grows weak or weary, that produces fruit pleasing to our Father and sustains me through the splendor and the desert.
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4 FEBRUARY 2016
PRESS PAUSE : Now at the end of 10 days, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah … [This] reminded me of the times I asked God for direction, got tired of waiting and acted on my own accord (never ending up very well). I know my life and all of our lives would look very different if we could seek the Lord for any and all direction we need, pause until we hear from Him and live out this example to our children and others. It’s a tall order in this world of instant communication, instant grits, popcorn, gratification. You name it, and we can access it any minute of the day.
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In the devotionals that have followed the Jeremiah series, she has visited Lamentations and Ezekiel. I like where this seems to be going!
Allison is also an author and has also published six books, which I highly recommend. You can see them all in the table below.
Books by Allison T. Cain
It was my distinct honor to have been associated with Allison from the very beginning of her career as an international Christian speaker, for which purpose she is an absolute natural. You might consider having her come to your church to share her unique and Christ-centered vision. You will neither regret it nor forget her message.
“Let us be silent, so that we may hear the whisper of God.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Christ Our Passover 