"And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks 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: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice."1 Kings 19:11-12

If your house is anything like my house -- sometimes it's incredibly loud! Kids playing and screaming, my wife preparing for guests who are frequently here, news on the television behind me and praise and worship playing in the background, then...the phone rings. Suddenly it becomes imperative to tune everything out in order to hear the person calling. In the same way, when we're listening for God's direction, we need to tune everything else out...in order to tune in! In the above passage, God had something to say to Elijah. He first allowed some powerful and noisy manifestations; those things might have easily been mistaken for His voice. Then, a strong wind –- so strong in fact, that it tore the mountain apart right before Elijah's very eyes. After that, an earthquake followed, and if that wasn't enough, a fire! I would say by the time these massive events had passed, Elijah might have been a little distracted -- don't you think? But the Lord wasn't in any of them. Then, God spoke to Elijah.... in a still, small, voice. Brothers & Sisters, I believe that God still speaks in that still small voice today. But are any of us able to hear Him with all the craziness around us? It is so necessary to tune out the noise so we can hear Him! When God has our full attention, not only can we come to know Him better, but we can receive the direction we've been longing for! RUNE IT ALL OUT!