The Sound of Silence

It's said that God speaks through the Holy Spirit. It's also said that the Spirit speaks, not in earthquakes or thunderings, but in a still, small voice, a gentle whisper. If that's true -- and I believe it is -- then it would explain why so many of us have such a hard time hearing the voice of God.

Our lives are full of noise. Multiple things vie for our attention simultaneously. We encounter hundreds of advertisements each day, all trying to sell us something which falsely promises to finally make us truly happy. Our cars blare our preferred genre of music or other form of auditory stimulation. We're never beyond the reach of a telephone or the Internet. Televisions remains on even when no one is watching. We can't fall asleep without white noise machines producing low-level background sounds.

We rarely encounter silence. If we do, we quickly shatter it in any one of a number of ways. It's little wonder we have so much trouble hearing the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. He never raises his voice to be heard above the din; it's up to us to become quiet enough to listen. Sometimes we have difficulty even in prayer. Prayer is a conversation, the parties listening to each other. When did you last experience silence in your prayers, deliberately creating space for God to speak and you to listen?

Perhaps we need to simplify our lives. We have many distractions which may be removed to provide a bit of silence. Take time to prayerfully evaluate what you might get rid of so you can once again hear the whispers of the Spirit. Nothing is worth a life estranged from the God who loves you.