White Noise | Tuning in to the Voice that Helps You Thrive
About this series:
White noise mixes all sounds at once—and life can feel the same, full of mental, emotional, and spiritual static. With constant noise from the world and from within, it’s hard to hear what really matters. This series helps us quiet the clutter, filter out unhelpful voices, and tune in to God. We’ll explore cultural overload, inner stress, and the spiritual drift that happens when God’s voice gets drowned out.
About this talk:
While part of the answer to living in a noisy world is to discern the white noise and then work at not giving it the attention it once had, the other part is to connect with God and hear what he has to say. We need to tune in to God’s voice, not only tune out the other voices. Imagine an old fashioned radio - in order to change ‘channel’ you had to proactively turn the dial and tune into a new radio station.
Perhaps tuning in to God sounds as though it should be a natural thing for us. We know him, we know how good he is. We know we belong to him, are safe with him and that time with him is well spent. But it’s rarely that simple. Tuning in to God requires us to come to him with faith that he will speak and with a workable plan for how to actually hear him.
In Mark 6 the disciples have come to Jesus after a successful ministry trip in the villages. They’ve been preaching, driving out demons and healing many. In fact, the disciples have been so successful in their ministry that there are now “so many people coming and going that they did not even have time to eat.” But surely they have to keep going - more opportunities for preaching, more freedom, more healing, more people encountering God’s kingdom. People are lined up waiting for Jesus. But what he does is fascinating.
He takes his disciples away from the ‘noise’ - the people, the ministry opportunities - to be still and get some rest with him, to tune in to him. So they climb into a boat and sail a few miles east to Bethsaida (Luke 9:10). It takes a decisive step for the disciples to get some time with Jesus - “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
The idea of tuning in to God is also present in Psalm 131, one of the 15 Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120-134). ‘Jews traveling to Jerusalem for one of the three main annual Jewish festivals traditionally sang these songs on the “ascent” or the uphill road to the city. According to some traditions, the Jewish priests also sang some of these Songs of Ascent as they walked up the steps to the temple in Jerusalem’ (https://www.gotquestions.org/Songs-of-Ascent.html).
David’s posture in Psalm 131:2 reminds us of what he hears God say in Psalm 46, “Be still, and know that I am God.” And also of what Paul says in Philippians 4:12-13, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…through him who gives me strength.” Being still, being content, calming and quieting oneself is the context where we can tune in to God. So David says, “I have calmed and quietened myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.”
It will look different for different people, but how can we learn - and put into practice - healthy habits of tuning in to God, calming and quieting ourselves away from the noise that normally surrounds us, even sometimes getting away from good opportunities in order to tune in to God? It could be worth offering a range of ideas for how we could tune in to God, whether that is sitting alone with him, taking a walk with him, opening his Word, worshipping in song, reading, etc.
Audio only
Devotional: How to Silence the Lies in Your Head
Psalm 13
One of the reasons we believe the Bible is trustworthy is its honesty. Scripture does not polish its heroes. God’s people are not painted in glowing colours, and neither are its great characters. Adam and Eve fall. Abraham lies. Moses falters. Kings fail. Disciples doubt. Churches struggle. The Bible tells the truth about humanity—and that very honesty gives us confidence that it is a reliable record of God’s dealings with mankind.
King David is a prime example. A military hero, the great king of Israel, and the forerunner of Jesus—yet also a deeply flawed man. His affair with Bathsheba, his broken family, and the rebellion of his son Absalom are recorded with undiluted candour. Psalm 13 gives us something even more personal: a window into David’s inner world. Here we overhear the noise inside his head and heart.
Reflection
Psalm 13 opens like a cry from the depths:
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?”
Four times David asks, “How long?” He feels forgotten, as if God is hiding. He is anxious, fearful, and unsure of the future—so overwhelmed that he fears for his life. This is not polished worship; it’s raw, honest prayer. It even seems likely this psalm was meant to be sung. When was the last time you sang something like this?
David is facing real danger, yet somewhere his feelings have passed through a filter of lies. The lie sounds like this: “God has forgotten me.” And that’s the danger for all of us. When feelings pass through a filter of lies, they can lead us down a slippery slope until we begin to live the lie.
Sometimes the loudest enemy isn’t “out there” but inside our heads:
“I’m not enough.”
“God can’t be trusted.”
“This will never change.”
Scripture shows we’re not alone. Elijah wanted to die. Job questioned everything. Peter was crushed by regret. Paul spoke of torment. Even Jesus, in Gethsemane, was overwhelmed with sorrow. In each case, the battle included what was happening in the mind—how suffering was being interpreted.
Paul later calls these deeply rooted lies “strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5). They feel true, even when they’re not—like a pilot whose senses lie to him in the dark. Survival depends on trusting the instruments.
David does exactly that at the end of Psalm 13. With the noise still swirling, he deliberately changes the filter:
“But I trust in your unfailing love… for he has been good to me.”
Literally, “I have trusted.” David looks back. He remembers God’s proven faithfulness. He chooses a truth filter—God’s goodness and love—and through it he recalibrates his heart. The song ends not because circumstances have changed, but because perspective has.
Discussion Questions
If a friend asked why you believe the Bible is trustworthy, which of these reasons resonates most with you:
internal coherence, historical integrity, self-authenticating nature, textual reliability, or honesty? Why?What stands out to you about David’s honesty in Psalm 13?
What “How long?” questions are loudest in your own heart right now?
Can you identify any lies that may be shaping how you interpret your circumstances?
How does David model a healthy way of processing pain before God?
Application
Listen: Pay attention to the internal noise this week. What messages keep repeating in your mind?
Test the filter: Ask, “Is this thought aligned with what I know to be true about God, myself, and the gospel?”
Take it captive: Don’t let thoughts run riot. Bring them to Christ and replace lies with truth from Scripture.
Remember: Recall your own “Ebenezers”—moments when God has clearly been faithful.
Respond: Like David, choose to trust and worship—not because everything is resolved, but because God has proven himself good.
Prayer
“Lord, help me to recognise the lies that distort my thinking. Teach me to see my life through the filter of your unfailing love and faithfulness. Recalibrate my heart to trust you again. Amen.”
