The Quiet Place

Life gets pretty loud.  Alarm clocks ring...kids cry... bosses yell... and our pasts scream at us from thoughts we wish we could forget.   Things get hectic... and if we’re not careful, we’ll let the noise win...  We are often told how much God wants to say to us... so why is it so hard to hear His voice in the midst of life?

Because God wants us to find a quiet place and just listen.  He says in Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God;”

How much of your day is spent just being still?   Peaceful?  Quiet?  If you’re like many..not much...and the elephant of distraction wins out.  You have to make the intentional decision to get alone with God.   He won’t shout above the noise of your day... He’ll simply wait until you can hear Him.  He doesn’t signal us in shouts or yells or pointed fingers or accusations.  God whispers.  He nudges.  He speaks to us in the quiet spaces of our heart... not with judgment but in love.  We just have to quiet our spirit enough to hear Him.  

Retreat to where the sound isn’t... open up the Word... and listen for the gentlest voice you can hear.  God has something to tell you.

Calming Susie

A story is told of a woman whose little girl was throwing a temper tantrum as the two went up and down the aisles of a busy grocery store. The toddler sat in the cart screaming and flailing about. As she continued shopping, she could be heard calmly muttering, "Don't yell, Susie. Calm down, Susie. Don't get excited, Susie."   A woman passing by commended her saying, "You certainly are doing a great job trying to calm down your little girl."  The woman replied, “My little girl?  Lady, I'm Susie!”

When a situation gets loud and out of control, most people make the choice to try to calm who they consider to be the source of the chaos.  They place blame... present an argument as to why the other person should stop their behavior... and are quick to deny any wrongdoing.  The Bible wants us to think differently.  In 2 Thessalonians 3, we read that God wants US to have peace at all times.  Not our noisy neighbor.  Not our out-of-control child.  And not that angry boss.  Us.  When things get out of control... God wants us to calm ourselves.  Why?  Because when we get quiet...we can begin to think, pray, and focus on the actual causes of the problems.  In our newly composed state of mind, logic prevails and love and grace can be displayed.  So today, if you find yourself getting angry and feel like placing blame... just stop.  Ask God to calm your spirit.  And choose to be the peaceful one... you’ll avoid making it worse and will honor God’s intentions in the process.  

Quiet Living

Life gets pretty loud.  Alarm clocks ring...kids cry... bosses yell... and our past screams at us from thoughts we wish we could forget.   Things get hectic... and if we’re not careful, we’ll let distraction win.   We are often told how much God wants to say to us... so why is it so hard to hear His voice in the midst of life?

Our question isn’t a new one.  Let’s take a look at the life of Elijah...

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:11-12

Elijah stood patiently and waited for God to speak.  And as the winds whipped through his hair... he became convinced that a powerful God would chat with him in a rowdy way.  He was wrong.  Then the earthquake came... surely God would communicate as the ground moved.  Wrong again.  After that... fire.  Yes!  Elijah knew the story of Moses’ burning bush... this must be a repeat performance!  God was going to tell him everything he needed to know when the heat was on!   Nothing.  Zip.  God wasn’t talking through the noise at all.  

Instead, He waited.  And then God whispered.   Gently.  Elijah didn’t expect “gently”.  He didn’t know that God wants to communicate with us when we’re still... 

How much of your day is spent just being still?   Peaceful?  Quiet?  If you’re like many..not much...and unchecked distraction wins out.  You have to make the intentional decision to get alone with God.   He won’t shout above the noise of your day... He’ll simply wait until you can hear Him.  He doesn’t signal us in shouts or yells or pointed fingers or accusations.  God whispers.  He nudges.  He speaks to us in the quiet spaces of our heart... not with judgment but in love.  We just have to quiet our spirit enough to hear Him.  

Retreat to where the sound isn’t... open up the Word... and listen for the gentlest voice you can hear.  God has something to tell you.