Stillness
Growing up I had a mandatory "quiet time" every day. It lasted no more than 30 minutes but at the time it seemed like an eternity. Now, I can look back and appreciate how special that time was. I'm so thankful to my mom for teaching me to value the stillness and quiet. David, who knew worship and through that, communion with God, like few others said, "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10a) Habakkuk also says, "Let all the earth keep silent before Him." (2:20b)
There are so many distractions in the world we now live in. So many people speaking and wanting to be heard that we can't hear the most important Voice of all. Our God does not often shout. 1 Kings tells us the story of Elijah waiting on the Lord. He expected the Lord to come in a storm, and then an earthquake and then a fire. But the Lord's voice wasn't in any of those things. His voice was still and small and quiet. Only because Elijah first waited and then was still, did he hear the voice of God.
My grandpa once asked me, "How do you get everyone in the room to listen to what you're saying?" Fairly confidently I answered back, "By shouting louder than everyone else." He lowered his voice so quietly that I had to lean in closely to his face to hear him. "No," he whispered. "By speaking so quietly that everyone else must stop speaking in order to hear you."
Those words of wisdom from my grandfather have stayed with me for years. The lesson of stillness and quiet is a valuable one. Take time and just be. and listen. And maybe in the quiet breeze you will hear His voice. The voice of the Father waiting for you to stop talking and begin listening.
There are so many distractions in the world we now live in. So many people speaking and wanting to be heard that we can't hear the most important Voice of all. Our God does not often shout. 1 Kings tells us the story of Elijah waiting on the Lord. He expected the Lord to come in a storm, and then an earthquake and then a fire. But the Lord's voice wasn't in any of those things. His voice was still and small and quiet. Only because Elijah first waited and then was still, did he hear the voice of God.
My grandpa once asked me, "How do you get everyone in the room to listen to what you're saying?" Fairly confidently I answered back, "By shouting louder than everyone else." He lowered his voice so quietly that I had to lean in closely to his face to hear him. "No," he whispered. "By speaking so quietly that everyone else must stop speaking in order to hear you."
Those words of wisdom from my grandfather have stayed with me for years. The lesson of stillness and quiet is a valuable one. Take time and just be. and listen. And maybe in the quiet breeze you will hear His voice. The voice of the Father waiting for you to stop talking and begin listening.
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