That was my view two nights ago… not hard to believe in God when you see something as beautiful as a sunset on a lake in northern Minnesota! But did you ever notice that as easy as it is to believe in God, sometimes it’s a whole-nother thing to be with God.

As I’ve been making my way through the Bible, one of the themes that keeps grabbing my heart and mind is that being “with God” is a really good thing! It’s all over the place in both the old and the new. “Be strong and of good courage for the Lord your God is with you,” Moses told Joshua. All over the place I’ve been underlining the words, “with God.” It’s all over the place in the Psalms. Like Psalm 46. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. — The Lord of Hosts is with us.” God’s promise to Gideon in the book of Judges was “Surely I will be with you.”

And then there is a string of stories — war stories — where before the King went to battle, he would “inquire of the Lord.” In fact when a King did not inquire of the Lord, bad stuff was bound to happen. David — called a man after God’s own heart — inquired of the Lord, almost like it was second nature. I guess one of the things that happens, as we spend more time with God, is that we hear God’s voice. In fact Jesus said, (recorded in the gospel of John) “My sheep know me and they hear my voice.”

So I’ve been thinking a lot about inquiring of the Lord, listening. Realized that even though I’ve had quite a bit of solitude up here at the cabin in MN. (In fact, enough solitude so that I really miss my family!) I haven’t had a lot of silence…and it seems like silence is helpful when trying to listen.

So when I finish this blog, I’m going to start a 24 hour -give or take an hour or two- noise fast. I’m going to take the ringer off the phone –the only thing I’ll answer will be a text from Lynn in case of emergency –, turn off the music, turn off the videos, and unplug my internet connection. Yes even that.

And I’m just going to inquire of God…and mostly listen for that still, small voice.

So if I survive… I’ll post the day after tomorrow.