Noise…it is everywhere. As I sit on the back porch, I hear cars on the highway, garage doors lifting, airplanes overhead, birds singing. That’s just the external noise. Inside my mind, there’s another layer—worries, to-do lists, what-ifs, rehearsed conversations, and finances. And on top of all that, there’s the noise of technology—social media feeds, endless opinions, controversies, comparisons, hateful speech, division. That’s a lot of sound for just a few minutes on the back porch. So how, in the middle of all this noise, do we possibly hear the voice of God? How do we notice the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit—comforting, guiding, encouraging, reminding us of His love? The answer is simple, but not always easy: we learn to listen. Learning to Listen In any relationship, communication is two-sided. We don’t just talk—we listen. Our relationship with God is no different. He is speaking, but the question is: are we listening? Here are some of the ways Scripture reminds us God speaks to us: • Through His Word (the Bible) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). His Word guides our steps: “Your word is a lamp