Above the Noise

They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! (Psalm 107:26-31 ESV). Don’t you grow weary of hearing the verse from Psalm 46:10 quoted? It’s the one that says, "Be still, and know that I am God" Who has time to be still? And, if you had the time, how could you hear God above the noise? However, wonderful things can happen in times of solitude, stillness, and silence before God. But "stillness" is hard to come by and simply isn't available on some days or in certain life experiences. There's precious little time for stillness when production deadlines are close. A report is due in three hours. An inspection is in progress. If you live in a big city, there are voices and horns. There is constant motion. Shared living space has someone else's music; someone else's TV, and someone else's voice. Where are you supposed to find God in the midst of all the noise? Then there is "noise" of a different quality altogether. Pain from illness or injury screams at you. The pressure of finding a new job or putting life together after a death takes away your tranquil sense of God. Sadness, disappointment, and loss crash over you with the roar of an angry sea. Strange as it may seem, the greater need for some of us may be less for stillness than to learn how to hear God's voice smack in the middle of all the noise, chaotic activity, and disorienting trouble. This is the impact of the psalm in today’s reading. Read it again now. Do you really think ours is the first generation of humankind to feel the pressure of noise, tension, and uncertainty? Of course it isn't. And the experience of some of those people can guide us in our times of stress. Whoever the subjects of Psalm 107, they were reeling and staggering under their load. There was no serene stillness before God for them. To the contrary, they were "at their wits' end." So right in the middle of their frenzy and distress, "they cried out to the Lord in their trouble" and God heard them. If your life has more tumult than stillness, more crash than tranquillity, God has not eluded you. He beckons you to cry out to him, and he will show himself to you. Amidst the noise, you will find him with you in the middle of it all. The key to hearing God’s voice in not in escaping the noise, but in focusing your hearing. Try this simple exercise: 1. First, pray these words: “Father, I wait on you now. I open my heart to you.” 2. Second, be quiet. Be quiet in your mind. Don’t say another word mentally or physically. 3. Third, write down the next feeling, impression, or words that come to you. 4. Last, go to the Scripture and read about that concept. The Holy Spirit WILL speak to you in that moment. It only takes a minute. And, He will speak to you every time you ask.