The Voice Above The Noise: Pursuing God In Ordinary and Anxious Times

By Dr. Tom Cabaniss

We are drowning in a world of noise. But there is a voice that rises above the sounds of division, discord, and confusion. God is real, God is at work, and God works in history for His glory and the good of those who belong to Him.

In a collection of meditations designed to be a daily supplement to scripture reading and ongoing faith-building efforts, Pastor Tom Cabaniss leads believers in the pursuit of God and His unfolding work in all sixty-six books of the Bible. Beginning with the first four powerful words in the opening of the Bible and all the way to the final plea of Revelation, Cabaniss reminds believers that God is always faithfully at work in the past, present, and future while sharing His grace, wisdom, and truth with all who diligently seek Him.

The Voice above the Noise is a collection of biblical meditations that provide a daily dose of faith and encouragement to new believers and seasoned saints.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798385004034

Dr. Tom Cabaniss

Dr. Tom Cabaniss has served as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Kannapolis, North Carolina, for twenty-seven years. He is a graduate of Mars Hill University (Bachelor of Arts), Duke University Divinity School (Master of Divinity.), and Reformed Theological Seminary (Doctorate). Tom and his wife, Lara, are the father of twins. His great joy is celebrating the faith victories of others and listening to their stories while talking and serving together. He daydreams about managing the Los Angeles Dodgers one day or at least throwing out a ceremonial first pitch.

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DAY 1

We find four powerful words in the opening of the Bible. In the beginning God … is the way the Bible starts (Genesis 1:1a). Those four words represent some profound theology. You also have a profound worldview that is based on scripture. You could easily close the Bible for a moment and simply meditate on these first four words, and you would have much to reflect on. First, we are told that there was a beginning. This world or this universe or your life did not randomly happen one afternoon. Likewise, creation has not always existed. There was a definite beginning point in time. And this beginning had a grand Designer behind it. God orchestrated the beginning of the universe and everything in it. Just as He sent forth His Son to be born in Bethlehem in the fullness of time, He also chose to begin the universe on His timetable. God even created time itself. Simply, He gave the beginning its beginning.

Second, we are told that God was present in the beginning. He was not created. He did not suddenly pop into existence. He did not come from a neighboring universe to take over the management of this one. He was in the beginning. He has always existed and will always exist. We call this truth the eternality of God. He is without beginning and without end. The Bible did not begin with an exhaustive effort to prove or convince readers that God is real. Rather, Genesis simply asserts the existence of God and declares it to be true.

Third, God was the agent of creation. A bit later in Genesis 1, we read that He spoke the universe into existence. Nine different times in Genesis 1 we are told that God said. He spoke. His words gave rise to the creation that we inhabit today. There is incredible and infinite power in God’s Word. Consider in Genesis 1 all that He spoke into existence. Likewise, consider the power that we find in scripture (also rightly known as and called God’s Word). We can place our full trust in whatever God has said or declared.

Fourth, the opening words of Genesis suggest to us that God has a destination in mind. From this beginning, God will navigate His creation to the conclusion that He has chosen for it. The universe is not spinning out of control. Creation has not gone off the rails. The Almighty knows exactly when, where, and how to bring His creation to the final destination. Because the creation belongs to God, He has the right to take it to the end that He wills for it. The Bible says, The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it on the seas and established it on the waters (Psalm 24:1–2). The earth is the Lord’s. And God’s people are His too. If we know Christ as Savior and Lord, we belong to Him.

At the end of Genesis 1, God weighed and considered all that He had created and all that He saw. We read, God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day (Genesis 1:31). God’s creative powers never fail. They are never second-rate. They are always perfect. And we can always take great comfort in knowing that He is real, dynamic, vibrant, and alive. He is on the throne and has been there even from the beginning.

DAY 2

Genesis 12 features the call of Abram to go to a new land. God’s call came this way: Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you (Genesis 12:1). Imagine receiving such a call—to leave behind all that is familiar and everything you know. And even more, to go to an undefined place for possibly the rest of your life. Now Abram did go with a promise—a promise from God that God would bless and honor him. We read, I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing (Genesis 12:2). How does this ancient story connect with us today? What can we take away from this call and promise that God issued to Abram?

One lesson we learn is that we often have to trust God for a blessing. God gives us a pathway to follow or a road to pursue, and we have to take some initial steps of faith before we proceed. We may see only the beginning of the road and not the middle or the end. But God has seen the whole road. And we trust God to get us from the starting line to the finish line. We trust God to care for us, to protect us, and to direct us to where He would have us be. Often, God blesses us freely. God can bless us even unexpectedly. But at times, God’s blessings come after we have trusted Him and acted as His call has directed us to act.

Another lesson stands out from Abram. God always acts with purpose. When God called Abram, the plan was to build the nation of Israel out of Abram’s line and descendants. Of course, from Abram, Jesus would emerge years later as the Savior of both Israel and the world. God has a reason for His actions and the calls that He extends to people like Abram or you and me. It is not in God’s character to bounce people around aimlessly like a basketball. God calls, leads, moves, and guides because He is working out His purposes and uses us to do so. We may never know when our obedience to the Lord sets the stage for a major event taking place years or even generations later.

There is a third lesson. We do not always see the outcome of our obedience. Abram could not see the rise of a great nation, the rise of Moses, the Exodus, or the coming of Jesus to save the world. He was simply faithful and obedient to God in his times and ways. God expects the same of us. We can be faithful without necessarily seeing all that God will bring to pass. The future belongs to Him. Obedience for obedience’s sake is perfectly good. We obey God and listen to Him because He is God. Often the joy comes from obedience itself and believing that God can use and bless our obedience to Him.

Finally, God can work through our faithfulness and trust to bless others. God promised to build a great nation in and through Abram—people Abram would never know or meet. You could well be a channel God uses to bless others. Perhaps God directs blessings through you to change and encourage others. Blessings do not always remain in our possession alone. Quite often, we are conduits or pass-throughs whereby blessings reach their final destination. Sure, God could have used someone other than Abram or you or me for that matter. But we miss the blessing that could be ours and the favor that God seeks to bestow on us when we look the other way and let a blessing slide through our fingers. Obedience is often step one if we wish to be a vessel or channel through whom God passes along His blessings. Perhaps God will work through you today just as He did Abram long ago. Be ready, be willing, and be surrendered to Him.

DAY 3

Genesis has a number of colorful and fascinating figures. We read the riveting stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and see God at work to build a nation and from that nation to bring forth His Son Jesus. The life of Joseph, son of Jacob, was one example in which we clearly saw evidence of God at work. Though hated and envied by his brothers, Joseph was the favorite son of his father, Jacob. The dysfunctional nature of this family provides an enduring example of how favoritism can wreak havoc in any home. Even after being sold by his brothers and tossed in an Egyptian prison on trumped-up charges, Joseph never lost his faith and trust in God. He also never lost his character. He refused the sexual advances of Potiphar’s wife and refused to bring shame to his boss Potiphar.

Indeed, God used Joseph even while he was a prisoner—locked away and all but forgotten in a dingy Egyptian prison cell. The Bible says, But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So, the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there (Genesis 39:20b–22). These verses remind us that God can use us even in the most unlikely times or places. We should never be quick to say that God cannot or will not do something or use someone. God took notice of Joseph in a prison cell and showed him favor. A few lessons stand out for us to see.

First, God is always aware of where we stand. We do not and cannot hide from Him. The psalmist wrote, If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast (Psalm 139:8–10). It is a comfort to know that He does not forget about us, and others cannot rob us of or hide us away from His presence and vision.

Second, God can bestow His favor and kindness on us in any circumstance. He is not inhibited or prohibited in the least by anything at all. We might be ready to think that He has written us off or that we are beyond anything He could do to help us. But divine favor is His to show or give as He wills and pleases. When we face challenges, we can and should pray for His favor to be with us and to rest upon us.

Third, God often elevates us in proportion to our faithfulness. If we are faithful in small ways and with small things, He often increases the responsibilities entrusted to us. Because Joseph had been a good prisoner and had kept his character intact, the Lord raised him up to a new level of leadership and service. Joseph was given charge over all the prisoners. Be faithful and trustworthy with whatever God gives you. If we desire to do great things, we may first have to be content with doing small and simple things.

Fourth, God often prepares us for events that we have not yet seen. We know the rest of Joseph’s story. He was eventually second only to Pharaoh in all of Egypt and was in charge of the nation’s food supply during a time of hunger and famine. He was in the right position to save his brothers and thus keep alive the building of this family into the people of Israel. The training that Joseph received while being in charge of the prison population likely prepared him for greater roles and duties. It could be that God is preparing you now for something that you do not yet know or recognize. There could be some role or place of service that God has in mind. The work or responsibilities you are performing now may well prepare you for what lies ahead. That one thing you might be tempted to write off as boring or mundane just might be some crucial spiritual lesson or truth that God wishes to teach you. Rather than dreaming of more to do or lamenting that you do not have what you want, stay trained and laser-like focused on what God has given to you.

DAY 4

About a third of the way into Genesis, God spoke to Abram (who would later be called Abraham). At the time, the Bible says that Abram was ninety-nine years old. He had lived a long time. The Bible says, The Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless’ (Genesis 17:1). In this message from the Lord to Abram, we find three lessons that stand out for us today. Even though the message was directed to a single man who lived a long, long time ago, there is still something for us to see today. First, God revealed Himself. He said, I am God Almighty. The Hebrew is El-Shaddai. God is the One who possesses perfect power and all power. A few chapters earlier in Genesis, we learned that God had spoken the creation into existence. And now, with Abram, God was beginning to unfold His plan for redemption and salvation. From this one man, Abram, God will build the nation of Israel; and from Israel will come Jesus, our one and only Savior. As the Almighty, God knows where He wants to take history. He has a plan in place, and He has patiently executed that plan beginning with Abram.

Second, God called Abram to walk before Him faithfully. Walk refers to one’s life, conduct, or behavior. The walk is who we are and how we have chosen to live. The word faithfully means to walk in a way that is upright and sincere. The standard really is nothing less than perfection. Jesus said essentially the same thing in Matthew 5:48, Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. God does not relax His standards or holiness. He does not lower the bar. We are always to strive for a sincere and upright walk with the Lord in the way we live. Romans 6:1 teaches us that we are not to continue in sin or to turn the grace of God into a get out of jail free card. Jesus lived the perfect life that we did not live so His righteousness is credited to us. But still, the standard does not change, and the bar is not lowered. You would never tell your child just to obey you three days a week and to forget the other four. Likewise, God does not expect or accept partial obedience or occasional obedience. The standard is always to live faithfully and uprightly. Delayed obedience or partial obedience is really disobedience.

Third, God called Abram to be blameless. The word is tamin in Hebrew. It means to walk in truth. It means to walk and to live without blemish in entirety—that is to say throughout your life. Examine your motivations, actions, thoughts, inclinations, and convictions. Let the truth of scripture correct the ones that are wrong or false. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, we are to respond in confession, repentance, and humility. We are to receive the forgiveness that God offers as we place ourselves on bended knees before Him. This call to be blameless carried with it a promise that we find in Genesis 17:2. God promised a covenant with Abram and to increase His numbers greatly.

So God was going to use Abram to bring His salvation plans into action. When we seek to live blamelessly, God can work through us. We are open to Him, and we desire His will above and more than the things of this world. The depth and joys of our walk with God are often connected with the choices we make about how we will live. His favor rests upon those who walk rightly before Him. We would never expect to experience God’s favor or blessing if we lie or commit adultery. For example, Noah’s blameless conduct received a blessing—safe passage in the ark when God (literally) rained judgment upon the surface of the earth. Scripture often speaks of God rewarding and blessing His people when they obey Him and walk rightly and blamelessly with Him. His favor does rest upon those who seek Him, honor Him, obey Him, and worship Him. There is a tendency in our world to compartmentalize our lives and think that God belongs on the calendar for Sunday while the other six days belong to us to do as we wish. Dangerous thinking and unbiblical thinking! Every day is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in each one as we dedicate ourselves to Him.

DAY 5

We often speak about God’s promises. And even more often, we have to claim them and rely on them. One aspect of faith is taking God at His Word and placing trust in His promises. In Genesis 21:1–2, we find the fulfillment of one of His promises. As you likely know, God had promised a son to Abraham and Sarah. The idea that a married couple the age of these two would just be starting a family is hard to imagine. And indeed, Sarah laughed at the thought that she could conceive and deliver a child. But nothing is too hard for God. Producing a child is less difficult for God to do than blinking our eyes is for us.

The Bible says, Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him (Genesis 21:1–2). Imagine the joy that Abraham and Sarah must have experienced. Imagine their awe over what God had done when they first saw their son. As we marvel over this miracle, we find three lessons about God’s promises that we can consider.

First, God kept His Word. He did what He had promised to do. God is the original and greatest promise keeper. And the fact that God acted graciously would suggest that He kept His promise to people who in no way deserved the wonderful act that He had performed for them. Grace is always a gift and never earned or deserved. If grace were earned, it would cease to be grace. When we prove unfaithful, God remains faithful. When we doubt His Word or promises, He keeps them and blesses us through them. We learn to trust God and to take His promises at face value. You may recall how many times Charlie Brown failed to kick the football when Lucy was his holder. Invariably, Lucy would convince Charlie Brown that she would hold the ball for him, only to pull it away at the last possible second. God does not tease us or break a promise just to see us flounder and fall. He does not dangle a promise and then pull it away to see us fail.

Second, God did exactly what He promised to do. He gave this couple a son whom they named Isaac. There was no bait and switch. God did not overpromise and underdeliver. God did not have to lower expectations. God did not overcommit. We can trust God’s promises to be with us, to forgive us, to keep us in His care, and to work all things for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purposes. God does not force us to settle for something second-rate or second-best. He knows what we need, and He supplies that need. Or as Jesus put it, Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:9–11).

Third, God kept His promise at the right time. Often, we struggle with matters of timing and when or where God is at work. Our time is not His time any more than our thoughts are His thoughts. God knew the right time to bring a son to Abraham and Sarah, and He did so. And God knows when the timing is right to work in your life or mine. God knows just when to bless, correct, train, act, or work. God sees the past, present, and future all at once and all at the same time. We occasionally have to wait for God to work. Waiting time is not wasted time. Waiting time is not downtime. Waiting gives us a chance to seek the Lord, to draw near to Him, and to lean on Him. And frankly, waiting for God to work is an expression of faith. When we wait, we acknowledge that God is going to bring His will and promises to completion. So we trust not only God’s promises, but we trust His timing too.

The promise that God kept with Abraham and Sarah continues to bless them even to this day. From Isaac would come Jacob and eventually the tribes of Israel. From Israel would come Jesus—our Savior and Lord. God may keep a promise in your life today that impacts generations to follow or even your children and grandchildren. Do not grow weary in waiting for God to work. He sees you just as He saw an elderly and childless couple who relied on Him to send the son He had promised. As you see evidence and reports of revival and renewal springing up across American college campuses, pray that God would bring revival and renewal to you as well. Get into His Word and pray, seek Him, and confess your sins.

DAY 6

In Genesis 22, God tested Abraham. And wow, what a test! The test came in the form of commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son—his one and only son—Isaac. Keep in mind that Abraham had waited a long, long time for this son. And Isaac was to be the son through whom God had promised to multiply the descendants of Abraham (as numerous as grains of sand or stars in the sky) and to build a great nation that would ultimately bless the whole world. And now, it would appear that all of those promises were in question. And even the life and survival of Isaac were in question. Obviously, a sacrifice would die and no longer live. A sacrifice as an end—the end! But that was the test in Genesis 22:2, Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’

The Bible says that early the next morning, Abraham began to do what God had commanded. As he made his way to the sacrifice, Abraham did not waver. But in Genesis 22:8, we find this amazing statement of faith from this aged father: Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ And the two of them went on together. Six powerful words—God Himself will provide the lamb. Abraham seemed to have this sense or conviction that God would not allow the death or sacrifice of Isaac to go forward. This test was to see how much Abraham loved God and whether Abraham loved God for who God is rather than simply loving God because of what God could give or do. That might seem a little unclear or convoluted, but it connects with us today.

Often, we fall prey to loving God or seeking God for what we can gain or receive in return. We can desire the gifts more than the giver, the blessings more than the One who blesses. So God’s test was rather simple. Do you love me more for who I am than what I can give you or do for you? Job courageously promised his love and loyalty to God even if God slayed him (Job 13:15). We are abundantly blessed people, and it can be easy not to see past the mass of blessings we find in our lives. May we love the Giver more than the gifts and the Provider more than the provisions.

And God did provide a lamb for sacrifice. This provision of the lamb foreshadows the ultimate Lamb that God provided—His Son Jesus. Just as God spared Isaac’s life by providing a lamb, He has spared our lives as well. He sent His Son to be the innocent and sacrificial Lamb that we could not be and did not deserve. Through the blood of the Lamb, we are made clean and our sins are washed away fully and completely. In the most trying of circumstances and on the most gut-wrenching occasion, Abraham knew that God would provide and that God would make a way. That is faith! Today, we hold on to the Lord even when circumstances might suggest otherwise or situations might tempt us to turn from the Lord. Even when we may not see a way forward, like Abraham, we can declare that God will provide a way. God will make a way even when a way may not humanly exist that we can see with human eyes.

Trust God. Those two words may seem trite or even overly simple, but they affirm incredible faith. That was Abraham’s position—trust God because He will provide the lamb. And God still provides. Often, His provisions surprise us and amaze us. You will never falter if you trust God and His Word. Trust Him with your life, your trials, your uncertainties, and your situations. Trust Him with your life and your next breath. And one day, you will find yourself breathing celestial air as you see Him face-to-face.

DAY 7

The second book of the Bible is Exodus. And part of this book chronicles the deliverance of Israel from captivity and slavery in Egypt. We learn how God moved in a mighty way to set His people free from Pharaoh’s clutches. We read in Exodus 2:24, God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. And just a few verses later, God spoke to Moses from a burning bush and chose Moses as his servant to bring Israel out of Egypt. We pause for a moment at the expression God heard. The God who hears is one way for us to know or to acknowledge God. The name Ishmael, for instance, means God hears. God hears us and answers us based on His righteousness and goodness and not ours. We do not win or earn the right to be heard because of something we do or because we have had a really successful day. Rather, God hears us because of who He is and His righteousness.

Followers of Jesus who have come to faith and trust in Him are blessed with the assurance that God hears them. God takes