Treasured Quiet- Why It’s Important To Be Still And Seek God
Do you take the time to be still and seek God? In today’s devotion, Steph encourages us to take the time to be quiet and listen to what He has to say to us.
When are you most quiet before God? Do you a prayer request you’d like to share? Contact us!
Quietness Is Vital
The world is a noisy place. And even when our environment is relatively quiet—our minds and our hearts may not be.
And then there are people like me, extroverts who thrive on lively verbal interaction.
In fact, I recently realized that’s one of the reasons I watch countless YouTube videos and listen to podcasts. It isn’t only for the content; it’s also so I don’t feel alone while I’m in my office by myself.
And yet, quietness is vital.
This truth makes me think of Psalm 46:10, which says,
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (ESV)
Although we may give mental assent to who He is, as long as we allow the noise around and the noise within to distract us, we won’t really know God on the level He calls us to.
How Often Are You Still?
Even good things like reading His Word and praying can simply become little more than additional “noise” if we don’t take the time to truly be still, to quieten our heart and mind, and really drink in His presence and contemplate how His Word applies to our day-to-day life.
How often do we marvel that the God of all creation chose to communicate with us through the written word? I may think about it from time to time, but it doesn’t affect my routine as it should. My mind rushes ahead to the next task on my To Do list.
How often does our heart pound at the wonder that we’ve been invited into His presence, to pour out our hearts to Him, to offer praise and thanksgiving for who He is and what He’s done?
The Most Amazing Event in History
One of the most amazing events in all history took place when Jesus died on the cross. The curtain in the temple that reminded people they couldn’t enter God’s presence because of His holiness and their sin was torn in two—from top to bottom. Because this was an incredibly thick curtain and because of its height, this could not have happened because of any human effort.
Did this mean God was no longer holy? Of course not.
Did it mean that our sin was no longer significant? Definitely not. Our sin was why Jesus gave His life on the cross.
Just what did it mean? What does it mean today? It means that believers in Jesus Christ who confess their sin and accept the gift of forgiveness He offers are now free to enter God’s presence. They don’t need a mediator and they won’t be held at arm’s length.
Dwell In The Wonder Of It
There are times this reality makes me want to fire up some lively contemporary Christian music, throw up my hands, dance around, and celebrate. (Don’t worry. If I do, I promise not to record it.)
I don’t mean to be sacrilegious or disrespectful. However, there is tremendous freedom and joy to be found in the Christian faith. And that is worth celebrating wholeheartedly.
Yet, it is also humbling and reminds us that it all about the Lord, who He is and what He has done. And that realization ought to motivate us to quieten our hearts and minds—and, when possible, our environment—so we can dwell in the wonder of it all.
As I write this, I hear traffic passing by and crickets chirping, but I don’t have YouTube playing. And while I have a lengthy To Do list to accomplish today, I am seeking to rein in my thoughts, to be truly present in the moment. I am seeking to focus on one thing at a time, in particular, on what the Lord is reminding me of and what He wants me to learn.
Making Time To Quiet Your Heart
And speaking of that …
There are times I neglect the study of God’s Word because even a brief passage can overflow with so much information and instruction that I become overwhelmed. I enjoy checking things off my To Do list. But mining the richness of the Scriptures is something I can only begin to do in my lifetime.
There are times I don’t pray because I don’t have a significant amount of time to set aside specifically to do so.
There have been times my hubby and I have made an effort to do devotionals and pray together, but for any number of reasons (including our different interests and learning styles), we have let it slide after only a few attempts.
Seeking God together and individually is important. And even though there are stumbling blocks to doing so, I must trust the Lord to quieten my heart and mind and reveal what He wants me to learn at any given point in my day.
Will you do the same?
Can you find time to enjoy quiet with God? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Steph Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel is eclectically interested and eclectically involved. In all she does, Steph seeks to nurture and inspire. She is currently working on the first book in a nonfiction series. Nurture and Inspire LOVE is a compilation of the first devotionals she wrote for HopeStreamRadio.
Steph is a freelance writer and editor. She is the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’ award-winning memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, published by Castle Quay Books. Deb and Steph are working on a follow-up book.
You can visit her website, stephbethnickel.com, to learn more about her.
Visit Steph’s contributor’s page or at Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests.
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