White Noise

Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my speech. Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground? When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmer as the border? For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him. (Isaiah 28:23-26 ESV).

Many years ago television was not nearly as prolific or developed as it is today. Every evening around midnight daily programming would come to an end with the broadcasting of a picture of the American flag and the playing of the national anthem. Immediately following that, a static picture, or “test pattern,” could be seen with nothing but white noise playing in the background. I remember on those rare occasions when I was allowed to stay up that late and watch TV, I still enjoyed the noise. Noise fills our lives today. We wake to music or alarms. We get in the car and one of the first things we do is start our playlist or surf through the available channels for just the right music or talk show. When we walk into the house or a hotel room, the first thing we do is turn on the TV. It seems that, with noise, we just don’t feel so alone. In the midst of all of this noise it is altogether too easy to miss the most important voice of all. God still speaks in a still, small voice. In the busyness and noisiness of our lives, it’s easy to miss Him. The only way to hear Him is to make an intentional effort to quiet the noise of our lives and spend some time listening, through prayer and reading the Scripture. You will hear any more important communication than that. So, with that principle in mind, let me make a few suggestions: First, find some time each day to be alone and quiet. Be intentional as you seek to listen to the voice of God through the Scripture. It will enrich your life tremendously. Second, choose a specific plan to read the Bible. Don’t randomly pick passages. Use lists of topical listings; read through the Epistles one by one. Above all choose short passages. Too much can be overwhelming. Third, end your time with brief prayer. It may be a short acknowledgment of thanksgiving and gratitude; or, a simple intercessory prayer for others you know in need. You will find the noise subsiding and the clarity of God’s voice compelling.