How To Hear God’s Whispers In A Noisy World
We barely listen in a world buzzing with distractions, from pings to TV actions.
We have lost the art and heart of authentic human interactions. Face-to-face, yet in a digital haze, we are worlds apart in the digital maze.
Even as we share close spaces with our loved ones and friends, whether living under the same roof or not, we often fail to hear each other.
The world has not ceased to speak; mouths still move, but minds wander too far between the allure of reality shows, the magnetic pull of social media, and deadlines. The result? We end up hearing nothing said.
Tell me, if hearing our neighbours and friends has become such a hassle, how much more the God who we don’t see? Don’t get me wrong, God speaks loud and clear. Amid our chaos, His message persists, but can we quieten our world to hear truly?
Today, I’d love to share four things that have worked for me when I seek to hear God’s voice in a noisy world:
1- Be Still.
Yes, slam the brakes and detach from the crazy world. God demands that we do just that…
Be still and know that I am God! Psalm 46:10.
Sometimes, you may have wondered why a flamboyant God wants you to be still to know that he is God. After all,
The Most High made his voice heard with hailstones and lightning.
He lifts his voice, and the earth melts.
His voice is like the sound of many waters.
His voice breaks the cedars.
His voice is powerful,
His voice is majestic.
His voice is mighty.
Yes, you can hardly associate God’s voice to a silent whisper, but sometimes, your anxiety, faithlessness, ‘made-up mind’ ways, your busy life, and even your storms can drown heaven’s loudest whisper.
Remember:
Balaam’s headstrong drowned God’s conspicuous voice.
Abraham’s eagerness for an heir drowned God’s loud voice about Isaac.
Elijah’s death wishes drowned God’s thundering voice.
Our noisy world could drown out the most High’s persistent whisper.
2- Keep your Focus On God.
He had done the impossible. Peter had walked in the Saviour’s footsteps. He had walked on the waters, just like Christ Jesus.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14: 29-30
But in a moment, in a split second, he looked away. The boisterous sea roared. Its menacing winds howled and puffed with fury, threatening to engulf him. Doubt crept into his heart, and he began to sink beneath the waves.
The real issue wasn’t the sea or its roaring waves; they had been present as he walked on water. The problem was a shifting gaze. A shift in gaze from the one thing that matters to the many things that don’t count. Peter was distracted.
Peter’s distraction mirrored our own experiences. When our focus shifts from God to the multitude of less significant things, we falter. Immersed in the hustle and bustle of our days, we become deaf to the subtle nudges of guidance and wisdom.
In our quest to be heard in a noisy world, we inadvertently neglect the most important connection.
So, how do we re-calibrate, refocus, and truly listen?
The key is to Keep your focus on God!
3- Dwell
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: John 10:27
The more familiar you are with a voice, the easier it is to hear that voice, even through background noises. Numerous scientific studies have established a link between memory and auditory recognition.
The sheep will hear the shepherd’s voice no matter how far out. But no matter how hard you listen, you will not hear his voice if you are unfamiliar with the shepherd. The more you know the shepherd, the easier it is to hear the shepherd’s tiniest whisper. Do you want to hear God more, then dwell more in his presence? Know the shepherd!
When you abide in God and develop a personal relationship with Him, you will train your ears to hear his voice through the many waters.
In what other ways have you been able to detach from the noisy world to hear God and seek directions? Please share in the comment section below. Looking forward to hearing from you.
