"Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong."
There is so much that can be learned while being silent, while being still. Its often one of the hardest things for me to do but its also the time where I learn the most of what God is calling me out of or into. Stop what you are doing right now, stop everything and just sit in total silence for 60 seconds...longer if you can. Was it difficult for you to just sit still and be quiet? I know some of you are like me and its a daunting task to simply be quiet. For those that know me personally, I am a pretty outgoing chatty chick. Yes, I said it and admit that I can be a little on the noisy side. But, when I need to recharge or need to find peace you will find I am the first person to retreat to solitude and shut out all the noise around me.
This past year has been a challenging year, one that has shown me much about myself and one where God has quieted me purposefully to remind me of who he is and who I am. Too often we can get ourselves so busy and so self-important that we begin to take our creator for granted just as we do in relationships. We get so comfortable that we forget to take the time to sit at his feet as Mary did, listening. I think the first clue that something is amiss is when we hear ourselves doing a whole lot of "I" talking and less talking about the father. When we begin to call ministries our own, when we begin to try to take on saving the world instead of taking care of our own family, when we fail to give credit to the very one who placed us in the position that we are in... all signs that we are starting down a very dangerous path. When our health begins to fail and our stress levels surmount to levels greater than we can handle and the doctor wants to medicate you just to reel you back in... signs pointing out that we are beginning to work less from the spirit and more from the flesh. Its these moments that we need to be silent and allow God to minister to our spirits. Life is full of challenges, heartache and events that are beyond our control. It is also full of joy and times of celebration but who or what are you celebrating?
One of my favorite devotionals is "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. I've read through it a few years now. This coming Sunday she writes (God has such amazing timing to remind us of his message for our lives):
"As you sit quietly in My presence, remember that I am a God of abundance. I will never run out of resources; My capacity to bless you is unlimited. You live in a world of supply and demand, where necessary things are often scarce. Even if you personally have enough, you see poverty in the world around you. It is impossible for you to comprehend the lavishness of my provisions: the fullness of my glorious riches.
Through spending time in my presence, you gain glimpses of my overflowing vastness. These glimpses are tiny foretastes of what you will experience eternally in heaven. Even now you have access to as much of me as you have faith to receive. Rejoice in my abundance---living by faith, not by sight."
When we begin to think about God's abundance and how limitless his gifts are to us in meeting our every need it can begin to overwhelm us. Instead of being overwhelmed, perhaps its time to just sit at his feet in silence and soak in the blessings of his goodness for our lives. Maybe its time for us to quiet our busy lives for a few moments and focus on the important things and begin to weed out those that are just robbing us of our joy and peace of mind.
Is Jesus calling you to be quiet, to be still, to be patient or to simply be patient? Are you resisting because you have a desire to be needed, to be important or simply to avoid the hard task of letting go of what you need to let go of or cling to something you need to keep hold of? Jesus is calling you into the silence to hear his voice, are you willing to be still and know that he is God and you are his beloved?
Under His Wings,
Heather
