In the Stillness
By Janet Byrne
“Be still before the Lord, all mankind…”
Zechariah 2:13
By Janet Byrne
“Be still before the Lord, all mankind…”
Zechariah 2:13
My family recently spent quality time with
close friends. We were at a cottage “up north.” Two hours in a car can go by
delightfully with children that are sleeping. Our children were wide awake.
Potty breaks, “Are we there yet” and the occasional “I’m hungry,” plagued us. I
was less than relaxed when we arrived. Vacations tend to start out that way,
don’t they? The hustle and bustle of packing, leaving, driving and arriving
rarely equate to stillness.
After a picnic lunch we were off to the beach…a private beach. With every step closer, I was becoming more and more relaxed. The wind blowing through the canopy of trees calmed me. We would soon have the beach all to ourselves. As my girlfriend and I sat down in lounge chairs, we enjoyed God’s beauty all around us...the blue sky, the lake in front of us, nature, etc. Stress found a new home as we welcomed stillness to sit with us. In that stillness, God revealed Himself to us by sending a bald eagle. It made two graceful passes directly over us. His majestic poise and powerful claws were a sight to behold. I encountered incredible beauty and power in my place of stillness.
God desires to bless you and me, and reveal Himself to us in the stillness. He desires for us to slow down and look for Him. Jesus went away to a quiet place often because He knew distractions would keep Him from hearing His Father’s voice. He wanted to be still before the Father so that He could give Him His full attention. I would have never experienced seeing the bald eagle had I not stopped and been still that day.
Today, we are so busy. We sometimes miss the many ways God wants to make Himself known to us. It may be through a rainbow, meditation on His Word, a quiet time of prayer or an eagle. The following is an excerpt from a book entitled Too Busy Not to Pray, by Bill Hybels.
“No one can become an authentic Christian on a steady diet of activity. Power comes out of stillness; strength comes out of solitude. Decisions that change the entire course of your life come out of the Holy of Holies, your times of stillness before God.” (1)
May God draw you into stillness today and reveal Himself to you. May you experience stillness…may you experience the Father.
GOING DEEPER:
1. What is keeping you from becoming still before the Father? Are you willing to withdraw to a quiet place this week and allow Him to reveal Himself to you?
FURTHER READING:
Acts 10:9-20; Mark 1:35
(1) ©1988 by Bill Hybels, InterVarsity Press
After a picnic lunch we were off to the beach…a private beach. With every step closer, I was becoming more and more relaxed. The wind blowing through the canopy of trees calmed me. We would soon have the beach all to ourselves. As my girlfriend and I sat down in lounge chairs, we enjoyed God’s beauty all around us...the blue sky, the lake in front of us, nature, etc. Stress found a new home as we welcomed stillness to sit with us. In that stillness, God revealed Himself to us by sending a bald eagle. It made two graceful passes directly over us. His majestic poise and powerful claws were a sight to behold. I encountered incredible beauty and power in my place of stillness.
God desires to bless you and me, and reveal Himself to us in the stillness. He desires for us to slow down and look for Him. Jesus went away to a quiet place often because He knew distractions would keep Him from hearing His Father’s voice. He wanted to be still before the Father so that He could give Him His full attention. I would have never experienced seeing the bald eagle had I not stopped and been still that day.
Today, we are so busy. We sometimes miss the many ways God wants to make Himself known to us. It may be through a rainbow, meditation on His Word, a quiet time of prayer or an eagle. The following is an excerpt from a book entitled Too Busy Not to Pray, by Bill Hybels.
“No one can become an authentic Christian on a steady diet of activity. Power comes out of stillness; strength comes out of solitude. Decisions that change the entire course of your life come out of the Holy of Holies, your times of stillness before God.” (1)
May God draw you into stillness today and reveal Himself to you. May you experience stillness…may you experience the Father.
GOING DEEPER:
1. What is keeping you from becoming still before the Father? Are you willing to withdraw to a quiet place this week and allow Him to reveal Himself to you?
FURTHER READING:
Acts 10:9-20; Mark 1:35
(1) ©1988 by Bill Hybels, InterVarsity Press
