"Quiet Please - God's speaking!"

“Few things frighten me more than the beginnings of barrenness that come from frenzied activity with little spiritual food and meditation.”

- John Piper

Christianity Today reports that almost 60% of Christians around the world feel their hectic schedule prevents them from spending more time with God.

People today are so busy.  There are so many things competing for our attention and our time.  Often I find in my own life that the last thing that I think about on my to do list is addressing my own spiritual needs.

Even as I sit in my office and try to write, when I close my eyes I can hear the chatter of employees taking care of business, clients talking about the difficulties they are facing, telephones ringing, sirens on ambulances and police vehicles driving by, and they constant electronic beep notifying me of another email.

People are always calling to God, in good times and bad times.  unfortunately sometimes it seems that we call out for Him more in the bad times than the good.  How many have ever said, "God if you can just get me out of this, I will...."

When we allow ourselves to get so busy that the noise of our life drowns out the sound of God's voice, we have a problem.  Look at this story from 1 Kings 19:11-13. 

"The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, 

for the LORD is about to pass by.”

   Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart 

and shattered the rocks before the LORD, 

but the LORD was not in the wind. 

After the wind there was an earthquake, 

but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 

After the earthquake came a fire, 

but the LORD was not in the fire. 

And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 

When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face 

and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 

We need to silent our iPhones and Blackberries, close the door, turn off the lights, cancel an appointment and simply listen for the gentle whisper of God.

"May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives."

1 Thessalonians 3:11 (The Message)