Turn Off the Noise to Hear the Need!

I sometimes have trouble sleeping and, to not wake my husband, go down to the den to turn on some Bible teaching I have recorded.  I find hearing and thinking on the Word of God good way to fall back asleep.  I may only hear a portion of the message, but those thoughts shape my dreams for the better.  Once the teaching has ended it will default to the channel that has been on.  That is just mere background noise.  

This morning my alarm went off and I hit snooze for 5 minutes.  When I sat up and turned the television off, I heard my dogs scratching at the door of the room where they spend the night.  They needed to be let out and fed.  I’m not sure how long they had been scratching.  With the noise of the television, I had been unable to hear them.  As I got up to go let them out, I heard my husband going to get them as well.  Their need was being doubly met, even if a bit late. 

Do you ever get to a point where your life has so much background ‘noise’ that you seem to miss the needs around you?  Noise and distractions are very similar.  They both block our ability to be attentive to what happens nearby. People can cry out to us in many ways, but we do not hear or comprehend. 

There are many distractions that contribute to the noise in our lives.  Busyness is a big offender. We can become so busy doing good things for God that we don’t even see or hear the people He puts right in front of us. We can also become very focused on ourselves. We can get so involved in our work or entertainment and miss those same needs that God is attempting to point out to us. 

Sometimes the person in need is a brother or sister in Christ. There have been times in my walk with the Lord that I needed a hand and even a push to help me out. Do I keep my eyes open and on the lookout for fellow Christians who need encouragement? Sadly, there have been times when someone has been through struggle that I did was not even aware of until after it was over. Was I too busy with the noise of my own life during those times? 

There are also those who have never developed a relationship with Jesus. They may have severe hurts and not know how to seek our help. Jesus came to die for all of us. He quoted this passage, “ The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound” (Isaiah 61:1AMP)  As His representatives, we should do the same. But do we look and listen for these?

 Throughout time people have cried out to God, and He has listened and responded. King David called out repeatedly. “Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and distressed, needy and desiring.” (Psalm 86:1 AMP)  He always knew that God would listen and respond to his cries with mercy and love. We are to be representatives of Jesus Christ in this world. We must also listen and respond with that same mercy and love. People are hurting and their cries may be faint, but if we truly listen we will be able to hear and help.

Once we heard the scratching of our dogs, we responded by letting them out and getting them food. Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life [that gives life—the Living Bread]” (John 6:48 AMP)  We can feed others with the true bread that they need by sharing the love of Jesus Christ with them. This love is not merely words, but actions that heal and support.

So take a look at the noise level in your life. Are the distractions getting so loud that you miss what is important? Turn down the volume. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and those around you. You will find their cries of needy people in your path. Listen and quickly respond with mercy and grace.