Devotions for July 20-31
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 6:03PM “Be Still and Know That I Am God” Psalm 46:10
What a blessing it has been to take our youth to work-camp again. They worked hard in building, mulching and putting on V.B.S. for migrant worker families. The daily trip to the work site from Eckerd College was about 40 minutes each day. Every afternoon my car was packed with noisy kids competing with the loud music heard even outside their ear buds. But without fail, after about 10 minutes on the return trip, their hard work under the Florida sun had taken its toll. Every one of those highly animated teens collapsed like deflated rag dolls construed in all kinds of positions in the welcome silence of sleep. In my rearview mirror, it was a sight to behold, and one to savor for the moment since this stillness would not last long. The radio could be heard in this quiet moment and this was the song I heard.
“Word of God Speak”
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
the last thing I need is to be heard
but to hear what You would say
{Chorus}
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
to be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak
I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice.
As someone has said we live in “noisy times” when everyone has much to say about everything.
We have political pundits on all sides ranting and raving.
We have righteous indignation expressed over what seems to be jilted justice in the Anthony case.
We have frustration and disappointment over senators, governors, sports figures and coaches who let us down over and over.
Much can and is said about all of this but in truth there is usually more fire then light. Sometimes there is no word appropriately able to capture and express all that we think or feel.
In my own life I have regretted many words emotively and hastily spoken but I have never regretted the choice of silence.
It is precisely in the cacophony of noise vying for our attention that we really can appreciate God's silence. The One who tells us that it is in the stillness that we can best find and hear Him.
In all my frustrated desires for God to have an audible voice and a verbal answer to my every plea, it is true that what I really need is His silent listening. It is far more precious to have our Father's undivided attention when we speak than to be interrupted by one more loud voice. And it is so often in His silent response that we hear the real answer.
Our God is like that—a still small voice which can easily be drowned out by this loud and noisy world which thinks it has more important things to say. It is no wonder that Daniel characterized God at the end of times as the Ancient of Days who waits quietly as the Anti Christ verbally accosts in rants and raves. Our Lord modeled this same quiet confidence before both the Jewish and Romans authorities at His Passion, as they mistakenly assumed that they would have the last loud word against our Lord's persistent silence.
So in this noisy hurried world and particularly this summer, I hope you can find some great quiet space and time to listen for God's still small voice. And in His silence to know that true love - truly listens.
from all wavelengths
“Be Still and Know.....
Surround sound,
bombarded by
chatter and clatter
clamoring for attention
unworthy
to open a soul
or lend an ear to.
If that verbiage
of selfish agendas, political nuances
and subtle labels,
would be expunged
and exorcised from all sound.
Quiet
would fill up space
and empty noises would be swallowed with silence.
And in that haunting but refreshing stillness
we would know
that then and only then is
there room to
hear.....
God”
Amen