9-24-2017

 Good Morning All,

                      Psalm 51: 8(KJV); “Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.”

    It might be an age thing; it seems that noise bothers me more than it used to and that more and more things are considered noise.  More and more there seems to be a constant rattle or chatter.  It seems that sometimes the goal is to see how loud and distracting the music can be.  There are many places where it is difficult to even hear yourself think let alone try to speak or listen to the person sitting beside you.  It is almost as if silence is something to be avoided. 

    It is the constant bombardment by noise from every angle and facet of life that is really becoming annoying.  There is noise coming from every direction; some of it is music played too loud, or the incessant phone calls trying to sell me this or that or asking my opinion about someone or something.  It is the ads on TV that seem to be played louder than the rest of the show.  It is the talking heads on the radio or TV that yell and carry on and say absolutely nothing.  It is the ridiculous automated ads on the internet that start playing when you are trying to read an article.  It is everywhere.  I remember the days of my youth when I helped my dad farm and the tractor didn’t have a radio and cell phones were only a futuristic nightmare.  There was actually times when you didn’t have to listen to the noise. 

    The worst noise we hear is the noise that the devil plays in our ears.  The noise that tells us we have no value or worth; the noise that speaks to our flaws and fears, to our weaknesses and our pain.  There is the noise that keeps us from resting peacefully at night, as we toss and turn because of the noise in our head and in our heart.  There is a lot of noise out there and it makes everything difficult.  It makes it hard to listen and to speak and it makes it almost impossible to not feel some sort of pain.

    This why the psalmist wrote our verse; “Make me hear joy and gladness.”  When we read the word make, don’t think in terms of a requirement or a law but rather a request to “change the station.”  Instead of hearing the pain and the sadness, make it so I hear only your joy and your gladness.  Drive the pain away, take the sorrow away; leave me with the peaceful sounds of your voice in my head and heart.  We do this best by staying in God’s Word, by reading it and meditating on it for a few minutes a day at least.  We do this best by staying in prayerful conversation with God.  We speak to him and open our hearts to his loving healing touch.  By focusing on God’s Word and by hearing the sweet sounds of his love and grace being poured out upon us, we can best drown out the noise of the world.

Father, send us the beautiful sound of your mercy.  Let the symphony of your grace enliven our hearts and lift our souls.  Keep our focus always on you.  Keep us always in your loving arms.  Be with those who are only hearing the pain of the world.  Heal those who know only suffering and sorrow.  Defend them from the devil’s attacks and give them the peaceful, heavenly rest that only you can give.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior and King we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret