Get Rid of the Noise

Like many people, I've dealt with a lot of noise in my mind. I've struggled with depressing thoughts of failure throughout my life. I'm sure you're aware that this type of thinking can harass us - if we let it. This is where we have to silence the noise.  

Negative, lifeless thoughts come from the enemy and they only produce mental noise, that tries to block out the sound of truth. 

Let's look at the difference between sound and noise.

Sound is natural and pleasant to hear. Consider how you feel when you hear the morning birds softly chirping and singing. How does listening to a beautiful song comfort the soul?
Sound has the God-given ability to bring a peaceful state of mind. But what is noise?

According to Google dictionary, noise is often characterized as unpleasant, loud or annoying. It's even been known to cause physical harm such as: increased heart rate, anxiety, hearing loss, severe nervousness, as well as a lack of concentration.

Throughout our daily lives we encounter lots of noise. Sometimes it begins to drown out our ability to concentrate. This mental noise must be turned down!

This happened to Peter. As he was walking on the water, the waves produced threatening noise which brought fear and distraction, so he began to sink.

After Jesus pulled Peter up he said: "why did you doubt?" Doubt is noisy, flustering, and fearful but faith is calm, quiet, and confident. Faith creates a pleasant- sound mind. It keeps us anchored, instead of tossing to and fro. Unshakable peace enables us to be much more productive. 

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul." Psalm 23

Think about laying down in green pastures, or strolling alongside  still waters. This "noiseless" environment evokes relaxation, bringing restoration to our soul. When something's re-stored it's  put back in it's former condition. So what's the best sound? In my opinion, it's the sound of love. 

When GOD (love) speaks...it's heavenly.

"Behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east; and His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth did shine with His glory. 

Ezekiel 43:2

It's easy to understand that sound creates a pleasant atmosphere, while noise does the opposite. Think about how you feel standing near a waterfall, or listening to the sound of gentle waves lapping against the shore. Why do you think spas use soothing sounds, they use it for therapy.

Thankfully we can turn to GOD for daily, weekly,... eternal therapy! We can ignore the noise of doubt by turning it off as quickly as it starts. As we tune in to the frequency of the Spirit of God we will encounter the reassuring sound of peace, hope, confidence and personal direction. 

Photo taken by Melina Gioffre Fuda

Water Walking Faith

Every day the disciples walked with Christ they witnessed another miracle. Everywhere they went, they saw the power of God in action. Can you imagine the mental gymnastics as they watched in wonder?! I'm still bewildered.  

How about the baffling feat of walking on water? That's pretty unforgettable, especially for Peter.

It's one thing for Jesus to walk on water, but for Peter to do the same? I'm pretty sure he thought about that day the rest of his life. (Matthew 14:22)

Now, we haven't heard of anyone walking on water lately, yet there remains great symbolism and an important lesson from that act. It's quite possible to walk over every stormy circumstance, instead of sinking in fear.  

Our faith in Christ is what holds us up. However, if we're not in faith, we're in fear. But He's called us to leave behind those entangled nets of fear and follow Him completely.

Even while the storm is peaking and it seems like God is sound asleep, let us never forget, He's given us the very same "water walking, wind talking" authority & power Christ used to bring the calm.  

Do you think Peter was afraid to step outside the safety of the boat? Of course he was. But He fixed his eyes on Christ and he did it anyway. As long as he kept his focus in the right direction, unhindered by everything going on around him, he walked right on top of a dark, stormy sea. It was only when he looked at the taunting surroundings that fear caused him to falter.


We're still being called out of the boat. When everything's calm, there's no need for water walking faith.  But when it's dark and stormy, we're gonna need those water shoes. 

Is it really possible to ignore the swirls of lies, and disregard the waves of intimidation that try to grab our attention? We know that it is. Peter, the forerunner, a follower of Christ, has set the example. When we purpose to make Christ our horizon, no storm in hell can make us sink. 

Set your sights high and your gaze upon Him, and you'll safely reach the shore!