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When Your Quiet Time Becomes Noisy

Many, many years ago they used to call the time spent with God in the morning a devotion time, meditation time, and then it became a quiet time. Many of us did find a quiet time. It is a time with God, a time in His Word, a time of prayer, a time of reflection on where you have been and a time of vision and expectation as to where you are going and what the Lord may have in store for you. On some days it may be five minutes, and on other days it may be 30 minutes to an hour. Generally speaking for me and for most folks who I talk with, it is difficult to find that time every day, though most of us would acknowledge that nothing is more important.

The other day I sat down with an open Bible and some paper and pen to make notes on my thoughts. I began my quiet time soon to realize that my quiet time had become incredibly noisy. In one room the television was blaring the latest crisis in the world. A radio was on in another room, reminding me of the weather, traffic, and other stuff that they wanted to feed me. The phone rang with an actual person on the other end needing information and more than any help that I could provide. Some dogs were walking outside my window, barking at each other. My quiet time was not quiet at all.

So it settled in on me that my quiet time seemed to be about as noisy as any other part of the day. I sat there for a while in the noise trying to figure out how to get to the quiet. As I contemplated my predicament, I thought of all of the people who have a sincere and passionate desire to have a quiet time with the Lord before they get started with a day full of people. They too must struggle with noise in the quiet.

A myriad of folks came to my mind including moms, who are trying to get kids awake and out of bed before they are off to school. There are dads who have major responsibilities with family issues before their other responsibilities of work kick in. There are teachers who have children, food, husbands, classroom preparation, and personal issues all surrounded by TV noise, music blaring, the dog barking, and a snake that has escaped. I thought of doctors trying to get ready for a busy day of caring for people’s needs and an emergency crashes in on them that they must deal with. None of us are immune to the noise that breaks into our quiet time. So what do you do? Well, let me make two or three suggestions that may help as you get alone with God.

First of all, examine the noise. As I thought about the noise that had come to my own quiet time, I realized that not all but much of the noise I was either creating or allowing. Now there are some external noises that I cannot do much about except ignore, but I can leave the TV off. I do not have to listen to stuff on the radio. I can refocus the clamor in my own mind and just determine to meet with God. The things you can take control of, do so in order to have a time alone with the Father. As you examine Jesus’ life, you will find Him doing that during His busy ministry. He would get up early and go out into a solitary place. He would go to the garden in the evening where He could find solitude. Or maybe He escaped to those places where no one knew for silent periods in His ministry. Was it always quiet where He tried to get away to? No, for there were encounters there. There were people there, and there were also probably those moments that were rewarding because of the significance of a time with God. All I am saying is that for me and maybe for some of you, you cannot do something about all of the noises in life, but you can do something about some of it, and it will help.

The second thing you might try is to expel the noise. Now after an examination you may come across some things that interfere with your time alone with God consistently. They may not be loud and clamorous; they may just be distractions. If you do not take the initiative to expel them from the classroom time with the Master, they will probably always be sitting there at a desk near you pulling your attention away from what the Lord is trying to say to you. Expel them! Many of life’s noises have an off control or at least a way to quieten or ignore them. You must act to expel the noise!

A final thought is to experience the noise. Put your laser mind to work and focus on hearing only the sounds of the Lord. Like the mother in a room filled with people that may be noisy who hears the slight cry of one child and immediately recognizes that sound belongs to her child, you can develop a spirit that is so sensitive that regardless of all of the clamor around you, you hear Him. His voice is different. His voice is encouraging, corrective, and compelling. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). So experience not just noise, but experience the clear sounds from heaven to your heart.

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