I couldn’t hear a word he was saying.

My husband was an entire room away and trying to talk to me as I was getting ready for bed. At the moment, all I could hear was the whir of the electric tooth brush in my mouth, the water draining in the sink, and the television chatter in the background.

I spit the toothpaste out, slid the toothbrush back on its charger, and yelled, “Just a second. I can’t hear you!”

After drying my hands, I walked over to where he was so I could understand what he was trying to tell me.

The solution to my “hearing problem” in this situation was obvious. I had to remove the noise; get closer to the source; and listen.

Yet, somehow it hasn’t always felt that obvious whenever I’m wondering why I’m not hearing from God.

Maybe you can relate?

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (HCSB)

The typical busyness of our days doesn’t offer much in the way of quiet. We tend to fill every waking moment from sun-up to sun-down with activities, appointments, and plans.

God’s not interested in competing with all of that for our attention.

It’s our choice to position ourselves so that we can hear Him.

Unless we’re purposeful to take time and draw near to God, the world’s cacophony of loud noise and numerous demands will always drown out His quiet, still voice.

Jesus wasn’t immune to it, either.

He made a practice of slipping away from the hullabaloo of life to be alone with God (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12; Matthew 14:13).

Jesus understood that in order to hear His Father’s voice clearly, He had to draw near, get close, and eliminate the external noise.

A truth so simple, we see it in action in our everyday lives with our spouses, our kids, and our friends.

Father, help me to draw near to You today. Let the world be silenced so I can begin to hear more clearly what You’re whispering to me. Amen.

Until next time, Grace and Glory!