As the weather changes and the warm months return, outside noise levels increase. Earlier this week I came to a stop at a traffic light. I heard the sound of secular music coming from a car sitting in traffic with me. I noticed the music was so loud that it made it difficult for me to hear my own music playing inside my vehicle. Although I had my windows closed tightly, those sounds still bled through. I would have drifted into listening to the words of the song being played outside if I had not concentrated on the words of the songs playing through my own speakers.
I began to reflect on the situation. I notice that spiritually we are challenged by the very same things. The sounds of the world are all around us. Those sounds are sometimes so loud that they threaten to drown out the sounds of God's Word speaking to our hearts. If we allow the sounds of the world to infiltrate our environment and we
begin to listen, we will find that we no longer have the ability to
defend against the tricks and stumbling blocks of the enemy. Sometimes
our finances are stretched to a point of being insufficient. We may not always
feel our best. We may even find that we have been stricken with sickness or
disease. Our loved ones may continue to live apart from God. We must remember that we are considered the brothers and sisters of Christ (Mark 3:35). We are called the chosen (John 15:16). We have access to the promises of God through Christ Jesus our Lord (Gal. 3:16). And most of all, God is sovereign (1Cor. 8:4). He is in control of every situation that seems in or out of control to us (Matt. 28:18).
His Word says, to repent and be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). These are the words that define who we are and how we are to present ourselves to a dying world. To be born again and no longer feeding the desires of our flesh. Being crucified with Christ, makes us aware of an old life and the acceptance of new life in Christ Jesus. The Word of God in our hearts makes us aware of the dangers in the world and power to be protected from them. We must meditate (purposely think) on His Word day and night. When the sounds of the world began to ring louder than the Word that proceeds from our hearts we can do a few things to help us endure. We can increase the volume (Isaiah 58:1). We can remind ourselves that we know the Word even if we can't hear the music (Ps. 119:11). And we can trust that the Word we have is able to keep us above and beyond all life's situations (Ephesians 3:20). Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not to your own understanding and He will direct your paths (Prov. 3:5-6).
