Did you have people over for the Super Bowl? We had a house full of teenagers. At halftime, we built a bonfire and they made s’mores. Then they were back inside to watch the remainder of the game and before long they were all gone leaving behind a kitchen full of empty platters and quiet. While it was great fun having them all over, I also enjoyed the quiet when it arrived.
Do you ever take time to settle down from the chaos of life and just enjoy the quiet? It isn’t as easy as it sounds, but it is very rewarding. Your mind tends to wander to the list of things you have to do unless you draw it back to a place of rest.
In the quiet we hear the Lord. 1 Kings 19:11-13a says “The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said…” God comes quietly, not when life settles down, but when we settle down.
In Mark 4:39 we read of Jesus calming the storm by commanding “Quiet! Be still!” There are times in our life when we can settle ourselves in a quiet place and focus on Him, but there may be times when we feel like we are in the midst of a storm and we can’t find a quiet place to hear Him. During those times, we simply need to be like the disciples and cry out to Him. He can quiet the storm; however, He may choose to allow the storm to rage on but quiet the child. Either way, we will be able to hear Him and experience His presence.
Shhhhhhhhh! God is speaking and it’s time we enter the quiet so we can hear what He has to say.