The noise is endless – I can’t even hear myself think sometimes…and when it is quiet? I have to add noise. I turn on Spotify, a background TV show, a podcast, a video on Youtube…The silence just can’t happen or I feel lost in a swell of emotion, pain, and lost thoughts.
Is this familiar to you?
It seems in our culture there is never a lack of noise – something is always going on…silence is almost a bad thing. As believers, should this be so? Does keeping the noise continual keep us from hearing God?
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning[c] and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
But you were unwilling, 16 and you said,
“No! We will flee upon horses”;
therefore you shall flee away;
and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”;
therefore your pursuers shall be swift.
In this particular passage in Isaiah, God is talking to the people about their rebellion…It strikes me as significant that it says they were unwilling…I believe that the noise of our culture and age is a ploy of the enemy to keep us from basking in God’s rest and strength.
How His Love plays a key…
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
When we continue to be bombarded by noise, we CAN’T hear Him. Especially when we are filling our thoughts and minds with noise of this world – worldly news, worldly music, worldly media…We constantly hear someone’s voice – even on social media…The voice we lack hearing is the still small Voice that waits for us to be quiet and reverent enough to hear it.
And He LONGS for that…
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears[a] we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Your Creator MADE you and made a PLAN for you to be loved by Him if only you would be silent, hear Him, and accept His love. You were meant to be grafted into His family, His covenant, bought by the blood of Jesus.
We do a disservice to ourselves when we don’t quiet our lives enough to hear from Him.
So, HOW do you hear from Him? How do you know when God is speaking to you?
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
You learn to recognize His voice as you make a daily practice of reading His word and knowing what He says. Nothing you hear his voice say will go against what He shared in scripture.
Don’t know where to begin?
Learn to recognize His heart for you through a guided devotional journal like “Fall into His Love” or “From the Heart of the Maker.” (Both available as free downloads in my “Goodies” page. Have the password emailed to you by going here.)
Spend time praying and just sitting quietly before the Lord. That means, turn off all distractions – cell phone, radio, TV, maybe keep a notebook next to you so you can process your thoughts. Ask Him to quiet your heart and tell Him you want to hear from Him. Then listen. Keep your mind from wandering, keep your thoughts from going through your to-do list, or your snap streaks…
You may hear nothing the first time. THAT’S OK!!! It’s something that takes practice. The more time you spend in His word, in prayer, and practicing silence, the more sure you are to begin hearing from Him. He WANTS this time with you.
If you have any questions, or if I can help you more, please feel free to email me or leave a comment and I will get back to you!