Silence...the Hearing Place

It's hard to find silence these days. We are bombarded with noise all the time. You have to be very intentional to find silence.

Part of the issue is we have been programmed to seek noise most of the time.

In the car, we have the radio or Pandora on.

When we are home, the TV is always on.

Our smartphones are constantly dinging with new text messages.

Our smartphones regularly ring with someone wanting to talk with us.

While we are working around the house or out in the yard, we have earbuds that constantly send music and podcasts to us.

While winding down in bed at bedtime, we scan through TicTok to see and hear new things.

If we have kids at home, it is a rare occasion to have silence invade our house.

When we are at work, we can't seem to get all our tasks completed due to the noise of the meetings we attend, the conversations we have with our colleagues and the constant hum that comes from working in a fast-paced environment.

In the mornings, we are so busy trying to get everyone ready for work and school, that we don't have time to sit in silence with God.

Elijah found himself in this type of predicament. There was relentless noise coming his way. He was resting in a cave after a very intense season of ministry and miracles. God told him to come out and stand in front of the cave.

God first sent a large wind his way. It was intense like a tornado. It blew with such velocity that it tore the mountain apart and caused the rocks to break. But God was not in the noise of the wind.

Then God sent an earthquake. It shook the ground with mighty force. But God was not in the noise of the earthquake.

God then sent down a roaring fire. The blaze caused crackles and pops to boom across the place where Elisha was waiting. But God was not in the noise of the blaze.

But then silence was brought to the forefront. And the stillness of the moment created a platform on which Elijah could hear God’s voice and talk with Him as a child does with his or her father. A still...small...voice...almost like a whisper that you must be quiet to hear.

Let me ask you (and me) a question. Do you have a time each day where you pull away from the noise and listen to the voice of God? Do you have quiet time where you talk with Jesus in the stillness of the moment?

As you make time each day to slow down,a while temporarily eliminate the noise and listen for awhile...you will hear the small whisper of the voice of God.

Silence is the hearing place.

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Psalm 46:10

Every morning I make a cup of coffee. Then I go to a quiet place and ask God to speak to me. As I open His word and begin to read it, a truth always jumps off the page and into my heart.

I can promise you this...if you will find a quiet place, pause before you start reading the Bible and ask God to speak to you through His Word...you will hear the still, quiet, voice of God speaking truth into your life every day.

Commit to slowing down for a few minutes each day, get alone and get quiet before the Lord. Take your calendar and make an appointment with Jesus for the next day. Early in the morning is a great time to spend time with Jesus, but depending on your season of life, sometime later in the day may work better.

Whenever and however you do it...find your hearing place.

Can you slow down each day and talk with and listen to Jesus?

What do you need to stop doing or start doing so you can find the time to hear Jesus' voice clearly?

Be still...be quiet...and you will find His voice in the midst of the silence.

p.s. This is a reading from my new devotion book for children's ministry leaders. The book has 52 short readings that you can use for personal devotions, staff meetings, volunteer training, newsletters, etc.

You can get more information about getting this book at this link.