Today’s world is filled with so much “noise”. Do you find yourself constantly moving, going, running from here to there? Is something always vying for your attention?
I personally think this constant state of distraction is a specific strategy of the enemy. The more distracted you are, the less time you have to focus on God.
The enemy knows that this noise and busyness can so easily drown out the voice of God. He knows that faith (believing) comes by “hearing the voice of God” (Romans 10:17). So, if he can block that voice, he can successfully keep us trapped in fear, anxiety and bondage.
That’s why God tell us, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
I think about Elijah on the mountain after he had been running from Queen Jezebel who was out to kill him. He was exhausted, tired and just wanted to die. God said, “Go stand on the mountain, and I’m going to pass by”. So, Elijah went up. First, a great storm tore into the mountains broke the rocks into pieces, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after that an earthquake, but the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. Then, a fire, but the Lord wasn’t in the fire. Then, finally, a “still, small voice” spoke to him. It was God. (1 Kings 19:10-12)
It’s interesting to me that God was not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire. Maybe those things were distractions from the enemy, because the Lord wasn’t in any of them. God’s still, small whisper is what we need to listen for, and we can’t hear it if there are other storms in our life like busyness, television, cell phones, Internet, meetings, video games, entertainment, etc. We must make it a daily habit to quiet our soul and our mind to “hear” and to “listen” for God to speak his whispers of love. Jesus did this often.
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed (Mark 1:35).
Jesus was a busy man. He was training his disciples and constantly had people coming to him for teaching, for healing, for a touch. Yet, he often got away from the crowds and distractions to quiet himself and draw from his heavenly Father.
We must do that same.
Prayer: “Father, help me clear away the many distractions in my daily life that are keeping me from hearing you. Then, help me tune in my spiritual ears to hear your voice.”