Daily Devotion for July 28, 2006

Finding Quiet in the Noise

 

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a Voice said to him, “What are you doing here Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13

 

When I stop and listen, my life is rather noisy. Whether it is the sound of trucks and construction equipment outside my office window, the murmur of the television program that someone is watching, the gentle patter of the rain on the roof, the ringing of phones or the background noise of someone talking on them, the ticking of the clock, the hum of the refrigerator, there always seems to be noise!  —and this is a quiet moment!

 

 The pace and clatter of my world, both physically and mentally, leaves little room to hear the quiet voice of God. I have to choose to listen and be still despite the continual hubbub around me. I must choose consciously to be sensitive to God’s gentle nudges or miss His presence altogether. I do have some places I try and go to hear the “silence” – one of them is in a Wadi in Israel, although I am not sure how quiet it is there now.  However, God often speaks quietly. I don’t want to miss out because of the constant barrage of sounds around me.  Find a quiet place and listen to God!

 

Prayer
Lord, You gave me this busy, noisy season of life. Help me to savor each moment. Help me, too, to quiet myself in the midst of it to hear Your voice. Amen.

 

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