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29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29 KJV
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]a still small voice.
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out…” I Kings 19:11-13 NKJV
The world has a very loud voice.
Sometimes it shouts many things at us.
“Do this!”
“Don’t you dare do that!”
“You won’t be fashionable or cool doing that!”
“Wear this!”
“Don’t go there!”
“Be for this team!”
“Copy that Star.”
Exhausting, isn’t it?
And very, very loud.
The world teaches you to push your way to the top of the corporate ladder.
Compromise, lie, cheat, and win at all costs.
Life yells at us to go faster, try harder, to be ruthless.
“Think of yourself,” the code of the world says.
“Aren’t you #1?”
“Who is more important than you?”
“Don’t deny yourself.”
“Go for the gold.”
It is, indeed, a loud, insistent voice that prods and pushes us, 24/7 all of our lives.
There is no peace, no rest, no joy.
We have sold ourselves, tossed away our convictions, morals, and values.
We are stripped of goodness and stand ashamed.
Are we cool, popular, and rich? Maybe.
If we are brutally honest with ourselves, all we really know is that we are utterly miserable and deeply depressed.
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God, however, speaks in a still, small voice.
His message is simple.
Love.
Do good.
Follow Jesus.
Be kind.
Be fair.
Love each other.
When we do these things that God directs us to do, God takes care of us.
We feel peace that passes understanding and we have the joy of Jesus in our lives.
Nothing is the same.
A joy that the world cannot fathom is ours forever.
Life has meaning and we have the assurance that we will live eternally with our Father God.
Words fail to tell the wonder of living within the joy and peace of the Lord.
I am so glad that I have the blessing of Jesus…
…instead of the praise of the world.