This morning as I was sitting quietly in prayer after reading Scripture, the quiet was punctuated with passing vehicles, sirens in the distance, my own thoughts spinning. Even when I try to listen for God’s voice, the sound of the vehicles keeps pulling me away. What noises pull us away? I thought about the span of time on this earth. What sounds pull us away from awareness of God? What sounds bring us peace? Birdsong? The whir of hummingbird wings? The breeze through the leaves of the trees? The lapping of water on the shore? The laughter of children playing?

What kinds of sounds pulling away from God did the people of Judges 18 hear? “Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. Aren’t you going to do something? Don’t hesitate to go there and take it over. When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever.” v. 9-10.

“You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’” v. 24.

Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went to Laish, against a people at peace and secure. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city. There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon and had no relationship with anyone else. v. 27-28.

The sounds of Micah and the tribe of Dan listening to the sound of their desires apart from God. That was then. What about today? What is the noise we hear today telling us? That noise is a shadow that will fall away as surely as the sound of Micah and Dan’s desire apart from God fell away in time.

We can listen to the noise – or – we can in silence listen for God to speak to our hearts. See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” Hebrews 3:12-15.

It helps to sit in silence and gaze upon the beauty that God has made. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of his hands. Psalm 19:1. So do the tender new plants of spring that grow in quiet, the light of dawn that advances in silence, the hush of twilight welcoming the night, the quiet of snow falling, the sound of peace as we sit with Him and He assures us of His love.

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21. The sound of the desire of God’s heart for us.