Drum roll

"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 3. 7, 8

At a time when religious intolerance was raging in Europe, pyres were lit to bring life from death to death in a terrible manner to those who were then called "heretics" ; they were only children of God who died for their Master, not wanting to abjure their faith. Sometimes, to cover the voices of these martyrs, the authorities resorted to drum rolls, because they feared that their last testimony would be heard by the spectators who witnessed the torture.

In the early days of Christianity, Stephen proclaimed : "Behold, I see the heavens open, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56). The principal religious not wishing to hear the words of the future first martyr of the faith, nor that his words are heard by the crowd, "cried out loudly, stopped their ears and, with one accord, rushed upon him" (Act 7. 57).

Many men do not desire to hear the repeated calls of God's grace or let others hear them. There are many who voluntarily stifle the voice of their conscience by the noise and agitation of the surrounding world, letting themselves be possessed by the whirlwind of occupations and distractions that the tempter places before them. However, the Lord loves them, wants to tear them from their state of eternal perdition, to draw them from their distress or simply from their carelessness. Often, alas, they expose themselves to too many things which, like a drum roll, try to cover the divine voice; that is why God is sometimes obliged to speak very loudly and to send striking trials, but, re-alas, "God speaks once, and twice - and we do not take heed" (Job 33 14).

He still speaks today to every person trapped in his sins ; every Christian must try to silence the drum rolls of the world that Satan uses so well that unconverted people can not perceive the voice of grace, or that believers can not hear the divine directions !

My God, help me not to listen to the drum roll that Satan wants me to hear when you want to talk to me. Help me also not to be a drum roll that would prevent my neighbor from perceiving your voice of grace and love.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)