Have you ever sat on a rock near a running stream or maybe on a log out in the bush somewhere and just listened? It is a very relaxing sound, isn't it? I like to call it the sound of silence. It's silent, but it's not. There is a stillness in the air, but there are the quiet sounds of nature. The birds singing, the breeze blowing in the trees, and crickets chirping. It reminds me of the contrast between the sounds of nature and of the life so many of us live.

Life in this world is always so busy. It's an endless round of things to do, noise and haste. There often never seems to be a moment to stop and think. The words of this poem sum up this feeling very well:

"The days are bumper to bumper Lord.
The deadlines, the pressures,
the list of things to do
keep funnelling into my schedule,
until I feel like one monumental traffic jam!
I've nearly concluded that it is, after all, my own fault!
There is no time for quiet or reflection,
for pause or beauty, there is no time to think!
When the blank spaces do occur in my schedule
I feel I have been so rushed that now,
I owe it to myself just to vegetate.
Lord, Lord when will I learn to live a controlled life without apology?
Help me to learn, to say yes and no
at the right times."
- Author Unknown

Amid the din and commotion of the world there is a still small voice calling in whispers that can only be discerned by the ear of faith. The voice calls us to "be still and know that I am God." (Psa 46:10). In the rush of life, the voice of God is easily drowned out.

The prophet Elijah, in the Bible, found this out, after his mountain top experience on Mt Carmel. He had just seen fire come down from heaven in the sight of all of Israel, as a sign that the God of heaven is the true God. But, in a moment of cowardice, he fled from the face of the wicked queen Jezebel, who was after his life. After fleeing through the wilderness for 40 days, he finally stopped and the Lord was able to speak to him: we pick up the story in 1 King 19:11,12. "And God said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks 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: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." And the Lord said to him, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:13) In all that rush and haste, did you stop and ask me? Who directed you to this place? On what mission did I send you, to find you here?

God's voice cannot be heard in the noise and confusion of life. We need to stop and listen for Him. He doesn't force Himself on us, he is waiting, ready to help, if we will but stop and listen. Otherwise, like Elijah, we will run and not hear the still small voice.

The apostle James had the formula. By the pen of Inspiration he wrote, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." (James 1:19). If we would listen more and talk less we would get a lot further in life. We would have less stress, less heartache, make less apologises and we would learn more.

One of my favourite authors wrote:

"When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, "Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10...Amidst the hurrying throng, and the strain of life's intense activities, he who is thus refreshed will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace. He will receive a new endowment of both physical and mental strength. His life will breathe out a fragrance, and will reveal a divine power that will reach men's hearts." (Ellen White, Ministry of Healing p.58)

So when we take time out, to think and relax, we will be refreshed to face the stress and rush of daily life. We will be able to hear the voice of God speaking to us in our thoughts. We will be able to stop and consider, what really matters in life. It's so simple, yet, it is far reaching in its effects.