01/15/2022
So often we seek God in the midst of whatever tempest that we find ourselves in, and then wonder why we can’t hear him. Do we each have a quiet place and time where we can have a conversation with Him? Jesus slipped away from the crowd, went off into the night, or, as He prepared for His time of passion, He went to the quiet of the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. This isn’t because God’s voice is weak, it is because we are distracted by all the turmoil that surrounds us. When we are in a crowd of shouting people, or in the midst of a raging storm, isn’t it difficult to hear even when someone yells our name out loud? Well… it is like this when we pray, or read scripture, too.
““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 ESV
In these modern times of constant action, and a world that is in constant uproar, it is hard to find quiet, and to feel a natural calm. Even when we think we are in a quiet place we find, by listening more intently, that we are not. To be still we must make an effort to do so. We need to isolate ourselves, either physically, or spiritually. We must seek out a quiet place away from our raucous day, and then calm our hearts, minds, and spirits there. In Bible times the world was a very different place, and finding a secluded location to hear God’s voice was much easier. Shepherds spent large parts of their day at peace in the fields, People travelled between towns by foot, and through miles of open countryside free of the roar of planes, trains, trucks, and cars. Tents were pitched at night beneath stars that weren’t obscured by light pollution, and there were no wails of sirens to interrupt their thoughts… but today most of us live in cities that have few places like this, and rarely find such places without seeking them out.
“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.””
Exodus 3:1-4 ESV
God spoke to Moses as he tended his sheep in the wilderness. When was the last time we found ourselves in a place like this? When have we found ourselves naturally still? Perhaps on a fishing boat while enjoying a day on a nearby lake? But wait, weren’t there water skiers, and jet skis, all about us, or other fishermen zooming here and there? How about while we were walking in what we considered a serene park, but weren’t we surrounded by joggers, hikers, and cyclists? No, today it is difficult to find ourselves in naturally calm places.
“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.”
1 Samuel 3:1-5 ESV
Samuel, much like Moses, heard God’s voice when he was in a still place. Samuel was in the quiet of the temple, and was about to go to sleep, when he heard his name called. Do we have our quiet places where we can be with God? Where is our mountainside, or temple? Are there such places in our lives, or is another solution necessary?
So in this time, and in most of our lives, we depend on our minds to block out all the routine noises of our day. When a person first moves to a city it is almost overwhelming. There is a sound level that exists that those raised in the country are not used to, and it makes them anxious, and keeps them awake at night, but after a period of time their minds block the routine noises, and like the other city dwellers, they no longer consciously hear them. Can we do this when we pray? Are we praying in places we have filtered the distractions of day to day life from? Being able to filter out the noise when we pray is a gift, but it is not always possible. Sometimes our minds are racing, and the situation so intense, that even the slightest distraction interrupts us. In cases like this we need to find that place on a mountain, or in a closet, where we are separated from the rest of the world. Sometimes we need the solitude of a mountain cave like Elijah did…
“There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””
1 Kings 19:9, 11-13 ESV
In this scripture we see the final piece of the puzzle. We have addressed the sounds, hustle bustle, and the distractions of life, but Elijah shows us that there is one more ingredient to being still, and that is for us to be quiet, and listen to what God has to say to us! How many times have we been so caught up in whatever we are coming to the Lord about that we can’t stop talking long enough to let the Him speak? If you have children then you can relate to this; when something is happening they will run up to you and begin excitedly telling you all about it. They are so engaged with the situation that they can’t stop talking long enough for you to ask a question, or give them a solution. I have often had to take a child by the shoulders, and say “Wait a minute! Stop talking!”, or have hugged them tight to me to calm them, so that I could speak. We are inclined to do this in prayer. We might be excited like a child, or maybe we have never paused in prayer before, and thus have never heard the Lord’s voice. Prayer is not a lecture, or a diatribe, it is a conversation. Sometimes we read scripture like this too… we read, but we don’t pause long enough to hear. Read this verse, and then listen so that you can actually hear what it is saying.
“But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!””
Luke 11:28 ESV
We say “Oh I have heard it.” but have we really? So often we read, or even memorize scripture without actually hearing what it has to say to us. Scripture is meant to be spoken, so like our prayers it is more akin to a conversation than simple pleasure reading like a novel, or a short story. We should still our minds, focus on the conversation, and pause frequently to let God speak to us through it. There is always a point at which we should be still, quiet, and listen attentively to what God has to say.
“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;”
Proverbs 2:1-6 ESV
So do we find a quiet place to talk to God? Do we still our minds to hear Him? Do we calm our spirits to listen, and receive understanding from the Holy Spirit? Let’s concentrate on these things in our prayers, when reading scripture, and in the other aspects of our relationships with God the Father, and Jesus Christ.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for participating with us in prayer, and thank you for telling us to be still so that we can clearly hear your voice. Your voice is mighty, and your Word echoes powerfully, both resounding in truth, and goodness throughout creation. Help us to still ourselves, and seek out those places where we can be alone with you; where we can hear your softest whisper, and the sound of your breath. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who desires to converse with us. Praised be your name for every word from your mouth that we hear, and for the understanding that comes to us in our silence. Merciful are you who never gives up on us as we ramble on incessantly, and is long suffering as we speak without listening. Your grace abounds, and we come to understand it by stilling our spirits, and opening our hearts. Hold us close to still us Father, and whisper to calm our fears. Call us to you as you walk on the water, and never let the sound of the roiling waves intimidate us, or keep us from hearing the calm in your voice. Lead us into quiet places and talk to us Father. Walk with us beside the still waters, and make us to lie down before you in green pastures. Restore our souls with your peace, and give us rest in your arms. Let the blood of your son Jesus wash over us. He is our redeemer, and teaches us to pray. He is our savior, and tells us to seek you always. We praise your name Father, and listen silently for your voice to pronounce us as your children… worthy to take our place at your table forevermore.
Rich Forbes