"In place of our exhaustion and spiritual fatigue, God will give us rest. All he asks is that we come to Him...that we spend a while thinking about Him, meditating on Him, talking to Him, listening in silence, occupying ourselves with Him - totally and thoroughly lost in the hiding place of His presence." - Chuck Swindoll
Time to be quiet...time to be still...time to LISTEN! In this crazy world of hustle and bustle...running here and there...house full of noisy kids...going to work...coming home to laundry, dishes and supper...the lists goes ON and ON and ON. So many things take our attention and our time. Have you ever just stopped? Have you ever found your quiet place? Do you have a quiet place? For me right now it is my back porch. My boys might be inside watching TV right now but that is ok. I have spent the last 1.5 hrs in the pool playing with them. This is my time to be quiet, to listen to the wind in the trees, to meditate...to be renewed and refreshed.
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD. Psalm 46:10
Do the days and weeks ever just pass you by? Where does the time go and how does it go so quickly? Sometimes it will be a couple of days and I will think...have I just stopped to be still and listen to God? I know that my quiet time is often filled with "Lord do this or that" "Lord be with so and so" "Lord help in this situation"...but do I stop and just LISTEN? Listen to the small still voice inside.
"My Prayer...
Forgive me, God, for drowning
out your still, small voice with
my noisy life."
"God has special confidence for each soul. Indeed, it would seem as though the deeper truths came only in moments of profound devotional silence and contemplation." - Charles Brent
Spiritual renewal came for me this past week. What a fabulous week of VBS we had! What is funny and ironic is the same thing that I have been struggling with for months in my own life was the theme of VBS. Facing Fear...Trusting God
For God did not give us a spirit of fearfulness, but a spirit of power, of love and of sound judgement. 2 Timothy 1:7
So many questions I have had for God lately. So many times asking for guidance in steps to take. So afraid that we might make the wrong choice and make a mistake. What I have failed to to is to BE STILL....LISTEN. The days get away from me. Our house is a full house..a very busy and active house and sometimes the days and weeks all run together and I look back and wonder what I did or where it went. I am going to be more committed to stopping and listening. More committed to drowning out the noise. Something we often fail to do is to take a day of rest. Taking a day to rest with our family to be rejuvenated and renewed.
We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship. - C.S. Lewis
What is so great about this blog is this thought of taking time to be still and listen has been on my heart for some time. David was asked to teach our youth Sunday School class this past week and he brings me the book plops it down in front of me and says "read this". What is the lesson entitled "SHHHH..." So, of course, I read it! That is where these quotes are coming from and I am so thankful that I was able to read it. Funny how God puts things in front of us...on purpose!
"MY PRAYER...
God, help me be intentional
about finding time to be alone
with You every day."
I want to be intentional with finding that quiet place every day. I want to be intentional with not asking so much and just listening. God knows my fears, God knows my desires, God knows my strengths and my weaknesses, God knows my innermost thoughts, God knows my concerns, God knows my prayers before they are spoken so I just need to STOP...BE STILL...AND LISTEN. God knows we are asking for direction in our lives...he is answering I just have to listen! God knows my fears and he is helping me deal with them...I need to trust and listen!
"My Prayer...
God, no matter how busy things get,
thank you for always
being there when my spirit needs refreshing."
A song that has really spoken to me for months now and is my "go to" song when things are a little hazy...
You Revive Me
You revive me
You revive me Lord
And all my deserts are rivers of joy
You are the treasure I could not afford
So I'll spend myself till I'm empty and poor
All for You
You revive me Lord
Lord I have seen Your goodness
And I know the way you are
Give me eyes to see You in the dark.
And Your face shines a glory
That I only know in part
And there is still longing
A longing in my heart
You revive me
You revive me Lord
And all my deserts are rivers of joy
You are the treasure I could not afford
So I'll spend myself till I'm empty and poor
All for You
You revive me Lord
My soul is thirsty
Only You can satisfy
You are the well that never will run dry
And I'll praise you for the blessing
For calling me Your friend
And in Your name I'm lifting
I'm lifting up my hands
YOU REVIVE ME!
