Noise. It is all around us. Inside and outside.

Busy. Busy. Busy. Long to do lists.

Stop. Stop for just a moment. Turn off that radio or whatever you are listening to. Wait. Be still and silent for a bit.

Psalm 46:10, “¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

In the stillness and quiet, we know that He is God. He brings peace and rest.

Before my health broke, I loved to take long walks in the woods, tent camp, and hear the sounds of God’s creation. It was wonderful to hear the quiet and spend time with my Father. It brings peace.

Now, especially over the past years of isolation, I find myself having something playing most of the day. As I realized that, I have begun to consciously have times of quiet where I can just listen for God. What are we missing by crowding out the silence with noise?

Our modern world is so loud. I think it crowds out and distracts us from listening to God and just resting. Meditate on these verses.

Psalm 62:5, “⁵ My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.”

Psalm 4:4, “⁴ Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.”

Isaiah 30:15, “¹⁵ For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.”

Look at that last verse. We return to God and rest. Our strength comes quietness and confidence.

My heart was challenged. Think about it. Jesus, Son of God, Saviour of the world, took time to spend in silence and stillness with God.

Luke 6:12, “¹² And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”

When the disciples were overwhelmed, what did Jesus say to do?

Mark 6:31, “³¹ And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.”

When life seems loud, when I don’t have the strength and feel overwhelmed, what will I do? Will I take the time to be still and be silent? Will I turn off the noise (internal and external) and just spend time with our Savior?

Verses taken from KJV – public domain.