There are certain words that no one wants to hear in the middle of the night, but when you do, you pay attention. “The fire alarm has been activated, please evacuate the building. The fire alarm has been activated, please evacuate the building.” These words come blaring from a loud speaker at a local school near my house at different times throughout the night. No smoke, no fire department that we can see, but it gets the attention of the neighborhood. When we want to hear from God, that is the kind of admonition many would like to experience, clear, loud, and to the point, but it doesn’t always come that way. Sometimes God speaks through the circumstances around us, sometimes through His Word, and sometimes through a quiet prompting that we might easily overlook. For many, we forget what Elijah did when we are in some trial or tribulation as is written about in *1 Kings 19:11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.* For Elijah, he was expecting to hear from God in a big way and it ended up being “a still small voice”. We can become so accustomed to the loudness of our surroundings that we fail to recognize the quietness of God’s presence. The more that we are in His word, the more we will understand God’s character and attributes, the more we will recognize His voice even with the blaring noise of the world around us. The closer we walk with Him, the more familiar His voice becomes, and the less we need to depend on dramatic signs to know that He is near. Then when we hear, we will be more likely to do what He asks of us. It is not as important as how God speaks to us, as it will be different for many, but what we do when we hear and understand His calling will be the true test of our obedience. In all reality, many “Christians” don’t hear from God because they’ve already decided they won’t do what He would ask anyways. As His children we need to make the choice of whether or not we will be obedient to God when He speaks, and if that is true for you, then listen for His voice with expectation, and if not I urge you to repent. None of us are beyond the reach of God’s voice, and none of us are so far away that He cannot call us back to Himself. Whether you are walking through peace, confusion, suffering, or uncertainty, there is a place for you at the foot of the Cross, and He is worthy of our full attention. Let us encourage one another to slow down, to listen, and to seek Him diligently, because every one of us needs His direction and His grace. And when He speaks, may we respond with courage and passion, willing to step forward in obedience rather than allowing fear, doubt, or the noise of this world to hold us back. So often, the voice we listen to the most is the one that we hear the loudest. Never let the noise of the world, the busyness of life, anything or anyone else distract you from listening for the still small voice of God, for if you do, you may miss out on a divine heavenly blessing meant specifically for you. My prayer: Heavenly Father, meet each of us where we are today, especially those who are hurting, weary, confused, or desperately seeking to hear Your voice. Help us quiet the noise around us and within us so that we can recognize Your still small voice and trust that You have not forgotten or abandoned us. Give us the courage to obey when You speak, the patience to wait when the answer is not yet clear, and the hope to believe that You are working even when we cannot see what You are doing. Lord, draw us closer to You, restore our hearts with Your peace, and remind us that no matter what we are facing, we never have to walk through it alone. In Jesus’ precious and powerful name, Amen. 

My BeLoved, may the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen. In Christ Love, douglas. HE>i. pastord.blog

Special Note: I want to thank those who read what I write and are encouraged to support the ministry God has entrusted to me either one time or have decided to give on a monthly basis. I am encouraged to see certain verses playing out before my eyes like what is written in *Philippians 4:16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.*

To any who are interested, please feel free to reach out to me with prayer requests, questions, encouragement, or for information on how to come alongside me with financial support at pastord.blog@gmail.com or I do have a Zelle account associated with my phone number, 5202720387 last name Blaser. Thank you my Beloved for your ongoing prayers and support.