I got up this morning at 6:00am and went outside and sat on my front porch in the cool, 59 degree morning. I drank my coffee, again read the compilation of Passion Narratives from all four Gospels I put together, and wrote this devotion. Aside from a few outside noises--a car driving . . . a barking dog . . .bird chirps… crickets or frogs from the pond across the street from me—all's quiet on the home front. That wonderful, much-needed presence has again come for a visit—QUIETNESS. Oh, how I love it . . . how I need it.
I cannot be the man I should be without times of quietness. Stillness is an essential part of our growing deeper as we grow older. We will not become men and women of God without the presence of solitude. Those words haunt me when I get caught in the treadmill of my calendar, time schedules and trying to meet the deadline of demands of my week, just like I know you experience. We are simply geared too high. Thanks to a blend of Alka-Seltzer, coffee, energy drinks, and Tylenol, we repeat our nonproductive haste with overwhelming regularity.
We are in such a hurry, we hate to miss one panel of a revolving door. We just have to open every FB post, Snap, Tik Tok, Tweet and Text. Talk about pollution! I want you to think about what our nervous systems undergo just to stay afloat: NOISE (music, news, talk, laughter, machinery, appliances, cell phones, social media, and traffic) from 6:00 a.m. 'til midnight. SPEED (bumper-to-bumper at 65 mph, on-ramps and off-ramps, deadlines, schedules and appointments) that all make us frown rather than smile . . . that causes us to check our watches more often than checking in with our Lord. ACTIVITIES(meetings, services, suppers, luncheons, breakfasts, rallies, our kids sport games, even church functions and ministries—all ("necessary" and "nice") that have a way of dismissing quietness like an unwanted guest. Sure—some things are important—super, in fact—but not EVERYTHING! Listen, if you and I REALLY treasure quietness, we will have to make time for it. When you feed it only the "leftovers" from the schedule, quietness always goes hungry.
I’'m just being direct and honest with you about an ingredient that cannot be ignored much longer in our lives without our paying a dear, dear price; and that is our need: To be quiet with God. Quiet to love ourselves enough to listen to God. Quiet to allow God to listen to and love us. I am desperately concerned that we slow down and quiet down and gear down our lives so that each week we carve out time for quietness, solitude, thought, prayer, meditation, and soul searching. And Jesus is concerned as well. Oh, how much agitation, stress and anxiety will begin to fade away . . . how insignificant petty differences will seem . . . how big God will become and how small our troubles will appear! Security, peace, and confidence will move right on in.
“The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Look, the LORD is ready to pass by.”A very powerful wind went before the LORD, digging into the mountain and causing landslides, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.” (1 Kings 19:11-13)
You want know something? That still, small voice will never shout. God's methods don't change because we are so noisy and super busy. He is longing for your attention, your undivided and full attention. He wants to talk with you in times of quietness (with the TV OFF) about your need for understanding, love, compassion, patience, self-control, a calm spirit, genuine humility . . . and wisdom. But He won't run your hectic race to catch up. He will wait and wait until you finally sit in silence and listen.
My family, We just went through Lent which is a season set aside to slow down, shut up, be quiet and listen. I pray and encourage you his week to seek out more silence and quiet moments. Block off and schedule an hour times on your calendar to seek silence and listen to God, and keep those appointments! Read through the passion narratives of the Gospels.
I am praying for you.
I am here for you if you want to reach out to talk.
Much love,
Gary
