Page 80 - Issue 39

from Pastor David

hen my dad was in his last “The Noise.” I took this to the test and living out our lives of habit allowing
days on Earth he slowed down found it to be absolutely true. that tiny thorn to fester just under the
and spent time refl ecting on Last year I won the lottery to hunt skin growing more and nastier as it
Wlife and the choices we all deer in Iowa. A couple I had met at a does its work.
make. He had always believed, but car show invited me down to hunt the Take a look in the Good Book at Psalm
in his last few months he developed land that had been in their family for 46:10. Everyone has heard, “Be still
a solid relationship with The Lord. over 150 years. I hooked up my little and know that I am God.”
We talked every day and he would canned ham camper and off we went. “Be still.” Rest. Rest in My peace.
share his revelations. One was a God My friend welcomed me, smiling and Listen to The Message version for a
Encounter for him which changed his said, “Welcome to paradise.” I laughed current perspective:
direction permanently. He said, “Sin is because I thought he was kidding. He 8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of
insidious.” He went on to explain that wasn’t. It is paradise. It is paradise God!
the poison comes slow and quiet and because they made it paradise. I had
we tolerate it like a little thorn that gets planned to only be in Iowa a couple of He plants fl owers and trees all over
just under the skin. After a time it be- weeks. A couple of weeks turned into the earth,
comes infected and before we realize almost three months. It was a time Bans war from pole to pole,
it, the thorn has established itself and that changed my life, for the good, breaks all the weapons across his
can be our ruin. forever. There were days that I stayed knee.
This pondering is about “The Noise.” in a tree from sunrise to sunset just “Step out of the traffi c! Take a long,
By this I mean the daily interference breathing in His peace. There were loving look at me, your High God,
we allow into our lives. And yes, I also hours spent sitting at my friend’s above politics, above everything.”
believe we allow it to be a part of our kitchen table discussing life. Topics I am not being preachy here friends,
lives willingly. By “noise,” I mean the like: Walking with God instead of walk- but just giving you a thing to ponder
trials of today’s world, the drama, the ing alone always expecting a different and talk over with Papa. Must you
hectic pace, the repercussions of other result. I learned this incredible family saturate your lives with all that is out
people’s lives or opinions we let rest on had listened to God and together, there? Do you have to pick up every
us, the absolute overload of informa- made their paradise. And by the way, crumb of stimulus available? Had you
tion, the self-imposed deadlines we because of those times, they are and not rather be in His rest?
cannot live without, the media (social always will be family. God is not one to make you do any-
and news) . . . you can fi ll in more. Think for a moment and recall the thing but if called on He WILL step in
I have always been one to step out of people in your life who seemed to to help. So… the prayer for myself and
this noise and get away where I can be at peace no matter the situation. now for you is simply this:
reset without much trouble. Don’t get Regrettably, those people were mostly Search me Lord. Know my heart. Help
me wrong, I love people. There is no in my past. They were the ones who me fi nd those thorns and lead me to
place in the Bible that says we should were good ole solid down to earth folk. the life you have envisioned for me.
be monks. We are made to love each They were confi dent in themselves and This ole world needs hope. He wants
other. But, over my lifetime I have direction they were going. They most to work with you to make that happen.
found that when I am still by choice, often had a garden. They took walks. Keep them cards and letters coming.
I am changed. I read an article about The laughed easily. They loved abun-
this very subject. The author said there dantly. They lived without “The Noise.” RDavid@MoulderMinistries.com
have been studies that found when a I almost asked here if you might want
person goes out into the wilderness at that sort of life but it would be a dumb “God loves you so much
around the 3-day mark our brains reset question. Of course we all want that He cannot keep His eyes
back to a more peaceful setting void of life but more often than not we keep off of you.”

80 RAT ROD MAGAZINE ISSUE THIRTY-NINE

80 Word.indd 80 8/11/16 8:18 AM