Be Still and Listen: Tuning Into God's Voice in Turbulent Times

Out on the farm, walking this morning, and I was thinking, it's been a rough week, A lot of craziness going on this week.

I don't even have to tell you about it because you already know about.

It's in the headlines.

And I think more and more every day, it's all about noise.

We just have noise constantly around us.

And it's so easy to get caught up in that noise and jump on this bandwagon or that bandwagon or take this side or take that side.

But I just thought about, what does God want for us in this.

In this time of just noise from all directions?

I like that scripture, and I honestly don't know the verse of this.

Be still and know that I am God.

So my challenge for today, just a real quick be still today, because I think it's so easy.

We spend our lives.

And listen, if you're like me, you're busy all the time.

Seems like there's never a dull moment.

I got a busy day planned out for me today.

Even though it's on a Sunday, I got a busy day ahead of me today.

And I think when we live our lives in this constant state of busyness, it's so easy to lose sight of what God wants for us.

And I just turned 53 the other day.

When I was younger, I was like, you know, I got all this big life ahead of me.

I never worried about how many years there are ahead of me.

And it's funny, I thought about being 53, and I said, wow, it's a fact that there are fewer years in front of me than there are behind me.

And so this season of my life is really about cutting through the noise.

My prayer every day, my prayer for you.

As you're listening to this, I pray that you can find God's will for your life.

Because when you tap into God's will, the noise just seems to go away.

At least it has for me.

And when that noise goes away, I'm able to hear something that is just really faint, but it's God's voice telling me, here's your will, Ralph.

Here's what I want you to do.

And I just want to challenge everybody today.

If you're listening to this right now, listen for God's voice today.

Cut through the noise.

If you got to turn off social media.

Turn it off.

Of course.

It's kind of funny.

I'm having you watch this video and finding Ralph's talking about turn off social media.

He's posting to social media.

Yeah, it's Kind of ironic thing, isn't it?

But I think we all need to just take a break from that, get outside and go for a walk, enjoy some nature.

God has created this beautiful world all around us.

And if we just stay stuck in the noise of this one said this and this one said that, the constant outrage all around us, I think we lose our humanity.

So like I said, that's my quick message for today.

Can we break through the noise?

And I'd just like to pray with you right now, Lord.

We just thank you for your love that just is so abounding in our lives, Lord.

And we just confess that so often, Lord.

We just take it for granted.

Honestly, I'm speaking for me right now, Lord.

I take it for granted.

I get so stuck in the busyness of life that I often forget about your will for my life, Lord.

I just ask you to help me find your will and live in your will, Lord.

And if somebody else is listening right now or watching this, Lord, I just pray that you will help them find that peace as well.

To just take a few minutes, even if it's just a few minutes today, Lord, and just break free of that noise and really center themselves on you, Lord, we love you so much, Lord.

And we know that you've got plans for us, plans for us to prosper, Lord.

And I just pray that today you'll help us to see those things and wrap our arms around our children and our spouses, Lord, and help us to find a peace that only you can bring us, Lord, in this crazy world around us.

And I just ask this in confidence in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

I just want to thank you for listening to me as I ranted on a little bit today.

Break through the noise today and just listen for God's ever soft voice, for your life.

God bless you.

Have a great day.