Be Quiet

Image by DeusXFlorida via Flickr

"Be Quiet" By Diane Webb

Psalms 23: 2—"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me by the still waters".

To lie down in green pastures is to rest. Have you ever noticed this verse says he "makes" me rest rather than he "allows" me to rest? This scripture implies rest is so important our good shepherd insists on it. God created the seventh day specifically for rest. The Sabbath was created by God, and was set aside as a day without work. It is so important it is even one of the Ten Commandments. Obviously respite is imperative and God wants us to take time to break. Are you one of those people who feel the need to be busy every waking moment? Are you the type to go, go, go until you are so given out you have no choice but to rest? Although it's true the scripture encourages industry, productiveness, and speaks against laziness, it also makes it clear periodic rest is necessary to the overall health and wellbeing of humans. Specifically, one day out of seven is to be spent in rest—one seventh of your time. Most people do not get enough rest—whether due to lack of sleep or lack of relaxation. Over time a lack of rest can cause a mental or physical fatigue. To rest, one must have quiet and stillness. A mental image of "still waters" brings to mind quiet, peacefulness, and calmness. A quiet time—a time of no activity, no noise, and no commotion—is like a vacation. The quiet moments are the time when you have one-on-one time with God. In the hit song "You raise me up" (Graham, Lovland, Universal Music Publishing Group) there is the line "I am still and wait here in the silence, until you come and sit awhile with me". We have to be still and quiet to meet with God. How can we listen for God and to God if our mind is filled to overflowing with lists, dates, names, and tasks? How can we be quiet and still if we are running around completing one project, duty, task, or chore after another? People need rest and God wants us to have rest. We need rest to restore ourselves and keep ourselves healthy. More importantly, we need quiet time to meet with God. Plan a regular time of peace, quiet, and solitude in your daily and weekly routine. Use this time to renew yourself and to listen to God. Developing a sense of listening to God is a skill that can be developed and improved over time. There are many books dedicated to increasing an ear for the Holy Spirit and spending quiet time with God. Some of these books are around the topic of "listening prayer". A listening prayer is one where you are silent and God is doing the talking. In traditional prayers we are doing all the talking to God. Developing the ability to hear God and listening to God opens up another dimension in your relationship with Him. The first step is to carve out time to spend in stillness with God. We must create the space within our minds and our lives for God to move in. If the space is filled with clutter, there is no room for God. Make a promise to yourself today, to begin clearing space in your mind and life for God's Holy Presence. Begin having special, quiet time with God. If you have never experienced this type of time with God, you are in for an amazing surprise—an intense spiritual awakening. As you open yourself up to God and are quiet enough to hear him, you begin to have a deeper, more personal relationship with Him. Lay down in the green grass beside the quiet stream—wait for God.

Oh God, please help me create and keep private, personal time with you. Help me get rid of the mind-clutter and busyness that makes me avoid the moving of the Holy Spirit. Dear Lord, show me the way to become closer to you and to listen to your voice. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.