There are very few feelings more satisfying than finding artists who make high-quality work and are also high-quality people. This is true of Ginny Owens, who we had the privilege of hosting at Escape To The Lake 2015 and with whom we did a mini tour in 2016. Now she just released a new 14-day devotional book called Love Be The Loudest. The subtitle is also brilliant: “Hearing God’s Voice Above the Noise,” something we can all use in this crazy day and age. Here’s a recent conversation we had with Ginny:

UTR: Your new devotional shares the same title as your latest album. Did the music inspire the making of the book, or did the vision for these come at the same time?
Ginny: Great question! The music came first, but as I created story-behind-the-song videos and wrote song descriptions, I began to think I wanted to write a book as a companion piece to the album. There was so much more to say about the concepts written into each song. Also, as I shared the theme of the record, I realized how many people could relate to my struggle to hear God’s voice above the noise of life, and I knew many valuable insights to consider lived in the Scriptures that inspired the songs.

UTR: We live in a very noisy world – from social media to political chaos. Do you think it’s becoming more difficult to hear or discern God’s voice?
Ginny: Absolutely. For several reasons. First, we don’t slow down, or have enough quiet moments in our day to listen and discern what God is saying to us. Second, we’re so caught up in our world of images, videos, and the constant stream of information, that the practice of being still, listening, and poring over Scripture to hear God’s voice is incredibly challenging. It requires unplugging from everything else. It means not worrying about what’s going on in the world for a minute. Who wants to do that? The problem is, we can’t think clearly and wisely about all we’re taking in, if we don’t first spend time getting to know who God is and what is important to Him.

UTR:  You talk in the book about how God seems to communicate in different ways and at different volumes. Do you think this is needed to get through to us?
Ginny: For sure. We have much rich, firsthand evidence of how God knows, loves, and communicates with us. David said, “It was You who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Ps. 139:13) David and Zephaniah both talk about God speaking to and singing over us. I take all this to mean God knows how best to communicate with each of us.

UTR: What do you hope the reader of this devotional experiences?
Ginny: I hope readers will be inspired to fall in love more deeply with the One who loves their souls relentlessly. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 25:14, where we learn that God’s friendship is reserved for those who revere Him – He tells His secrets to those loved ones. I don’t think we think of God’s friendship that way. Instead we think of Him as a taskmaster or an aloof majesty somewhere out there. But He longs to be in friendship with us. He waits for us to listen so we can hear His secrets.

UTR: Obviously God communicates through Scripture. Does God speak to you in other ways?
Ginny: When God speaks to me in other ways, it’s usually through pointing me back to a Scripture that I’ve memorized or read recently. Now that I’m learning to ask what God is saying to me through Scripture, I’m getting spoken to a lot. Ps. 25:14 was a life-changer for me. As I began to contemplate God’s desire to communicate with me beyond surface level, that He wanted to share His truth with me, I was very humbled. Zeph. 3:17 has also been an incredible verse of comfort to me this year. The idea of Him holding me up, quieting me with His love, and singing over me is staggering. Thinking on these things change the way I think about everyone else, too. How can I not love? How can I not open my heart to others?

UTR: Besides the new book, what are some other things going on in your life?
Ginny: So many things. I just launched a Patreon to help me produce more content more often. I’ve got lots of fun goals and special content for patrons, and I’d love for everyone to check it out. Also, I’m writing new songs all the time. I just had a song in a movie called Trafficked, all about human trafficking. The track is titled “Fly Away,” and can be found on iTunes. (It’ll be available for streaming everywhere soon.)

The new devotional book is available in paperback and as a multi-media eBook. You can get more info at www.ginnyowens.com.