Blocking out the Noise_1 Kings 19:12

"After the fire came a gentle whisper."

There's a construction behind our house that's been going on for more than a year. Every morning, as early as 7, the workers start hammering and grinding away, making a racket. I get annoyed and think, "Now how can I have my quiet time with God with all this noise!" So instead of being at peace, I'm upset!

I know that I need to exercise patience with the laborers in the next lot but noise pollution is a widespread problem for sure. But "noise" can also come from other sources that can distract me from having this quiet time, like the ping of a new message on my phone, a notification flashing on my laptop screen and wayward thoughts when I think of my Things-to-do List. All these draw my focus from simply being still to hear God's gentle whisper.

He wants me to be still; he longs for me to sit long enough for Him to tell me of His love. This is why the Good Shepherd "makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me to quiet waters; he restores my soul." What an overwhelming thought to know that Jesus, my Savior and King wants to spend time with me!

While I cannot block the noise from outside my window, I can exert all my efforts to remove the things that will distract my heart and my mind from coming into His loving presence.

Lord, forgive me for all the times when I allow the noise to pollute my holy time with You. I want to lean into You, and press my ear to Your heart and listen. May I always be present to hear when You whisper.

Timing is everything _Esther 4:5-14

We humans are obsessed with time. We have our alarms, calendars, planners, annual projections, 5-year goals etc.  when Imwas in college, in the cusp of moving forward to the next phase in my life, I wrote on index cards all the things I wanted to accomplish within certain time frames -- be  news anchorwoman, write a novel, appear in a movie or tv show, get married, have children, own a mansion, etc.  As to be expected of expectations, not all of them happened, or if they did, not at the time set.

Looking back, now at my age of 62, I see God's loving hands gently prodding me this way and that through all those seasons in my life, just like the Good Shepherd in Psalm 23, "He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name sake."

Esther's story is one I particularly relate to in hat, in a slow, sometimes perplexing way, her story unfolded to the time she was at the right time, place and status to be used by God to save her people. Jeremiah 29:11-13 is oft quoted when we go through difficult times. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future. then you will call upon me and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek Me with all your heart."

It is comforting to know that He is in control, and that He knows exactly where He is leading us. We know too that what He has planned is always good, because He is good.

Lord, I'm in wonder in how You orchestrate everything in my life to suit Your purposes. Even in those times I am disobedient, You turn it around for good for my own good.

Led by God_Psalm 143:4-11

One of my life verses is verse 8, "Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul."

Everything depends on Him alone. He is my Good Shepherd, and like sheep who do not know where to go, I need to simply follow. The problem lies when I try to do things on my own or try to go where I want to go without first "lifting up my soul" and crying out, "Okay, Lord, show me where I should go!" This however is not in human nature -- this surrendering of will to someone else. We are filled with pride and think we can do things on our won. This is why we need to LEARN how to surrender our will to God.

Verse 10 then says, "Teach me to do Your will for You are my God; may Your Good Spirit lead me to LEVEL GROUND." Just as the psalmist wrote in Psalm 23. "He makes me lie down in green pastures...", God who is good will bring me to where it is level ground, where I can lie down and rest. There is no real rest until I am led, and when I learn to follow.