Cut The Noise

My wife and I love visiting the mountains. We love the scenery and
serenity that you find there. One thing that really makes a visit to the
mountains special is how quiet it is. You don’t realize how loud living in
the city is until you are out there in the mountains, far from any cars or
people. In the mountains, you get to slow down, calm down and relax.
This makes me think of just how much noise we have around us all the
time. And I’m not just talking about sounds. We have TVs, cell phones,
work, bills, recreational activities, sports, and the list goes on. None of
these things are evil in and of themselves, but they can take up
tremendous amounts of our time.

The latest numbers show that Americans spend about 5 hours and 16
minutes on their phones every day. That comes to nearly 80 days or
two-and-a-half months a year! If our eyes are looking at a screen for
two-and-a-half months of a year, what things might we be missing?
How much noise is distracting us every day?
The Bible tells us that there are some things that we need to be
listening for. If we don’t learn to cut out the noise, we will miss them.
In Psalm 46:10, the Bible says, “Be still and know that I am God.” The
knowledge of God isn’t going to come to us while we are running about,
engaged in all the distractions of the world. In 1 Kings 19:11-12, Elijah
went out to stand before the Lord and He was not found in the wind, the
earthquake or the fire, but in “…a still small voice.” Elijah needed to cut
through the noise and listen for it.

We cannot let ourselves be so distracted that we never hear the voice
of God. Now, we are not going to hear God’s voice like Elijah did. As
Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us, the time of prophecy is past. If we want to hear
the voice of the Lord today, we will find it in the Bible.

We need God’s Word to guide us. When Jesus was fasting in the
desert and being tempted by Satan, He relied on the Scriptures to keep
Him from sin. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus rejected Satan, saying, “Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the
mouth of God.” We will not find comfort or answers in the things of this
world. We will only find them in the Word of God. Psalm 119:105 tells
us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” If our eyes
are constantly consumed by the glow of a screen, will we trip?
This week, dedicate some time to go to the mountain of the Lord. Pick
an hour each day to take a break from the noise. Put down the phone,
turn off the TV, and spend some quality time with the Lord.

Robert Lupo