Finding Quiet

Be still and know that I am God… –Psalm 46:10

“With our whole heart, soul, mind, strength and fortitude; with our whole understanding, powers, effort, affection, and feeling; with every desire and wish, let us love the Lord our God who gives each of us our body, our soul, our life; who creates, redeems, and saves us by mercy alone; who does all good for us, the miserable, wretched, rotten, and ungrateful. Let us desire nothing else, want nothing else, delight in nothing else, except our Creator, Redeemer and Savior who alone is good; who alone is holy. Let nothing hinder, separate, or come between us.” –St. Francis of Assisi

Voices, sounds, and noise fill our lives. Radios blare inside of our cars. Televisions are on most of the day in our homes. Streaming apps on our smartphones fill our ears with song and sound. You must admit, a quiet moment is hard to come by these days. It might be said that moments of silence and peace are near extinction in modern culture. Well, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that God wants to speak to you. The question is, are you listening? Or, are there other voices more interesting to you than the voice of God?

You must quiet your heart in order to learn how to listen to God’s voice. Discovering ways to nurture the practice of silence in our lives is part of the necessary journey into really living as a Christ-follower. Finding quiet for even a moment or two gives us an opportunity to train our hearts, ears, and lives to hear a far sweeter voice. Silence teaches us to listen to the songs of God. The Holy Spirit sings a melody of transformation not condemnation. The Spirit sings a melody that speaks the words of eternal life to the seeking heart.

“A spiritual kingdom lies all about us, enclosing us, embracing us, altogether within reach of our inner selves, waiting for us to recognize it.” –A.W. Tozer

GOING DEEPER:
1. Spend several moments of silence. Go to a window and dare to stare out into the world…with no agenda, no “to do” list…just look out on God’s beauty, quiet your heart, and pray, telling God that you want to hear from Him.

2. Ask yourself, “What does God want to tell me in the quiet moments of my life?”

FURTHER READING:
1 Peter 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; Isaiah 32:16-20