Tuesday, September 9, 2014

When Life is Noisy: Morning Personal Journaling September 09, 2014

2014-09-09 09:09:10, Tuesday

Bible Journaling, Christian Journaling, Prayer Journaling

Good morning, Lord. (I stop and take a few deep breaths, trying to focus on You and not on all of the noise in my life, which there is plenty of at the moment.)

{Noise = Things that scream for my attention or keep fighting for my attention. Distractions. Circumstances, thoughts, decisions, planning, feelings, etc. Anything that isn't of God or His Word.}

This reminds me of a verse. Let me look at some of the context, though, then I'll focus on one verse, and a couple of verses:

1 Kings 19:1-18 New King James Version (NKJV)

19 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lordcame back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.

9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake,but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord wasnot in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

15 Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anointas prophet in your place. 17 It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

New King James Version (NKJV)

Remember how anyone who sees the Lord's face falls over--dead. They cannot withstand seeing so much majesty and perfection. I would say they cannot bear to see His glory.

I would also, with a grin on my face, say, "It boggles the mind so much they cannot withstand it." But, I'm not really joking at all and am serious. God is awesome. He is Above ALL. He is all majesty, all power, all dominion. He is Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. He is all Strength. He is. He is the Great I AM.

Verses 11-13 are the focus verses. But, the key verse is 12:

1 Kings 19:12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

12 After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

God can speak louder than a waterfall, louder than thunder, louder than an earthquake or a fire in a forest. However, God can also speak in a small voice and in a whisper. He can be all powerful and can be gentle. That being said, I think in verse 12, He is far more powerful from our human and finite perspective in the whisper. After all, He could choose to let loose, but He chooses subtlety at times, which shows His perfect restraint.

If He whispers, the noise in my life can cause me to fail to hear Him. This is why it's so important for me to remain open to Him at all times. The way I remain open to the Lord is through silencing, or at least quieting the noise in my life. I focus on Him and His Word, not on everything else demanding my attention. I focus my mind and heart onto Him alone. The only way I can do this is through living 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (look it up in your favorite version of the Bible and in the journal entry or blog post previous to this one) and John 15:7 intentionally, at all times. I have to be purposeful in this.

John 15:7 New King James Version (NKJV)

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

New King James Version (NKJV)

Yes. I have a lot of noise in my life. I need to be still and quiet, so I can hear Him. This is what I will focus on today.

Lord, help me to live these verses today.

PRAYER

Lord, my mind and life are full of a lot of noise right now. Help me to either silence it or forget it through focusing on You and Your Word alone. Help me to be quiet so I can listen to and for Your whisper and small voice. If I allow the noise to overpower You, I cannot hear You or Your direction. Lord, teach me to do so--and help me to do so. I want to bring You glory and live in the center of Your will alone.

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