“Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight a path for Him!” (Mark 1:3) So shouted John the Baptist in the wilderness. There is so much noise in our world, especially in the days that lead up to Christmas: music in stores, children crying, customers' loud voices, ambulance sirens and traffic congestion. If you really want to be heard in the midst of all the noise, there are times when you almost have to shout.
During a typical lunch hour at the University of California - Berkeley, spokesmen for a dozen different causes can be found on the plaza, trying to shout louder than the others. One day a lone figure sat down defiantly in the middle of the crowd and held up a sign which said, "SILENT PROTEST." Someone tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "What are you protesting?" The defiant figure held up another sign which said, "NOISE."
That reminds me of the Salvation Army woman a few years back who was informed by a policeman that a local ordinance prevented her from ringing her bell for contributions. But that ordinance could not stop this inventive bellringer. The next day she did a better business than ever as she waved one sign and then another in the air. The signs said, "DING" and "DONG."
John the Baptizer had to contend with all the noise of his day that drowned his message to be prepared for the coming Messiah. There has always been noise when the God's spokesmen try to speak His message. Perhaps that is one of the reasons John shouted in the wilderness - simply to be heard.
In Psalm 46:10 God says, “Be still and know that I am God.” There is a time for shouting and a time for being still. During the coming year of 2011, may you know the difference, especially in those times you need to wait on the Lord to hear His still, small voice of divine guidance and love.
Do you hear the Lord speaking to you?
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