Listen for His Whisper

By Paula Williamson guest writer

An Unforgettable Visit

One night, I had a dream I will never forget as long as I live. Without a single doubt, I know God used that dream to reveal His Holiness to me. In the dream, I knew that God and Jesus were coming to my home. As I prepared for their arrival, two Scriptures rose vividly in my heart:

John 14:23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

Revelation 3:20“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

I remember thinking I didn’t need to do anything special to get ready. I believed my home was clean. I’ve always lived with a deep awareness that God sees and hears everything I do, and I didn’t think there was anything in my house that would shame me. I felt excited, eager, and proud that I was “ready” for an unexpected visit from the Lord. Then the doorbell rang.

And what happened next left me undone.

Have you ever driven straight into a sunrise or sunset, and the light was so blinding that you couldn’t see anything at all in front of you? Now magnify that by a million—no, by a zillion—and you might begin to imagine the brilliance that met my eyes. The moment I opened the door, all I could do was bow my head. I could not see into the face of God or Jesus, but I instantly knew who they were. Their radiance was overwhelming. They never spoke out loud, yet their presence communicated everything.

I looked down at myself and saw stains covering my clothing—stains I never noticed before. Shame washed over me. As I led them toward the kitchen, every step they took revealed more filth: dirt I had never seen, grime that had been invisible to me until Holiness entered the room.

I opened my cabinets. Every dish was fouled. Every glass looked like a filthy slide under a microscope. My silverware was unusable. My home—my “clean” home—was exposed for what it truly was. No amount of scrubbing or human effort could have fixed it. My wallpaper showed stains. My ceilings were marked. Everything about my house, and everything about me, felt undone.

They sat silently at my table while I desperately searched for anything worthy to serve them with. The only things untouched were three breadbaskets hanging on the wall. Instantly, I knew they symbolized the Father, the Son—the Bread of Life—and the Holy Spirit. They alone were pure. They alone made me acceptable.None of my works, none of my efforts, none of my self‑made “cleanliness” mattered. Only the Trinity—God Himself—was untainted.

I woke up suddenly, my heart pounding, sweat pouring down my face. It was a sobering revelation of my life, my efforts, and my own inability to make myself clean. When we finally stand before God’s holiness, no flesh will boast. No human effort will stand. No wonder people in Scripture fell at His feet the moment He appeared. Holiness reveals everything—and it reveals us.

I realized the only things I will ever have to present to the Lord are the things He has done through me by His Spirit. Not my sacrifices. Not my striving. Not what I “cleaned up.”

He doesn’t need us—He chooses to include us.

Jesus didn’t need servants to fill the jars with water at the wedding in Cana. With one word the jars could have filled to the brim. But He allowed simple people to participate in His miracle. Why? Because He created us for relationship, for partnership, for companionship with Him.

The things we do in our own strength are wood, hay, and stubble.The things we do in obedience—with Him—are eternal. Oh, let’s not settle for less. Let’s not offer the world artificial fruit.The world is starving for the real thing. Let’s show them who our Lord truly is, and what He longs to do through His people. He must increase, and I must decrease.

Closing Prayer:

King of Glory, Father of Life, settle this truth deep within our hearts. Even Jesus, the King of Glory, did only what He saw You do. Teach us to open our ears, our hearts, and our minds to hear the whisper of Your voice. Forgive us for pride and for anything that steals Your glory or dishonors Your name. Cleanse us with Your holy presence.In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Devotional Takeaway:

The Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is all we need.He alone is more than enough.

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This blog was taken from my book, Listen for His Whisper, a free download.