It is a constant battle to be quiet.

A constant battle to be restful.

To hear the “Still small voice” of the Holy Spirit.

Each nerve, each cell, each synapse firing.

For more information, more knowledge,  more of anything but peace.

They twitch and scream for attention.

They demand more, more, more.

While my spirit longs for only what God can give.

Each jolt of my nerves takes me farther away.

Sitting in quietness appears to be counterproductive to my natural man.

The world we live in cajoles us into the belief that stillness is not beneficial or constructive.

After beginning this post, I read a post by Seth Godin called

“Ranking for Signal to Noise Ratio” 

posted to Facebook  on the 22 of May.

The timing could not have been better.

Seth’s main point was that in a quiet place,

the noise does not have to be big to be heard. 

In a noisy place like a night club,

no matter how loud you talk,

it is difficult to be heard.

Reminds me of my “Quiet time”.

Frequently, it may take a half an hour or more to silence all the noise,

to still all the synapses.

Even more frequently, I find myself not taking that time.  

I have so much to do!

Like email, Facebook, Pinterest!

Ouch!  It hurts to admit that!

The list on my desk grows while I spend my time zoning out on “important stuff”.

More often than not,

I must MAKE myself be really intentional about turning it all off.

I suspect that you may see yourself here as well.

As the roar of the World Wide Web grows larger every day,

my intent to hear the “Still small voice” of God must grow as well.

Truth?  I’ve heard it all before.  So have you.  It’s all just part of the noise!

But there is truth that is even bigger, with a “smaller” voice.

Here is what it says;

⁹ And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

¹⁰ And he said, I have been very jealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword: and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

¹¹ And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before Jehovah. And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but Jehovah was not in the earthquake:

¹² and after the earthquake a fire; but Jehovah was not in the fire:

and AFTER the fire a still small voice.

¹³ And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

¹⁴ And he said, I have been very jealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

1 Kings 19:9-14

 

You see how Elijah was jealous for Jehovah the God of hosts?

Read how God was not in the tumult of earth, wind and fire, all synapses firing.

These things sought Elijah’s very life.

God was in the still small voice AFTER the fire.

Then we read again that Elijah was jealous for Jehovah God,

and was sad that all the others had forsaken Him for all the noise. 

They had made all that was in front of them in the noise, their god.

Join me won’t you?

Let us set our intent to be jealous for our Jehovah God.

Let Him be our delight, our highest joy, and our greatest pleasure.

 

You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

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