Surrendered Silence

In a world where we are inundated with noise, it is hard to fathom what silence and solitude look like. Periodically we experience a glimpse of this mirage; an early morning sunrise in the desert, a breathtaking walk in the rain forest, the stars eruption as you sit high above the city, or a morning wake-up to a deep blanket of snow. But how does it look within our spirits, our hearts, our emotions or our minds? That place of complete stillness that allows peace to reign. To find it – even for a few minutes – is a practiced discipline.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Ps, 46:10 (ESV)

This scripture is known well, but do we really know what it means? It sounds peaceful and it’s great on a refrigerator magnet, but practicing this discipline is not easy. Try it – spend just five minutes, stilling your thoughts – don’t think, pray or look around – just be still, soak in that silence. Once you have gotten through a few days of practicing, you will find something amazing begin to happen. Sitting silent before the Lord will stir a desire to live in this blissful place.

Finding this place of stillness stirs within a divine depth of peace. Here in this place we find intimacy with our God. In this quiet place of silence, we hear His voice. Adoration and worship – an “awe” of knowing our God – begins to surface, as all of the noise of our world disappears. Here, we step into a place of worship that is found past the music and all of our words. This place is where our words – our requests, desires, needs and prayers – are not needed. This stillness will transform your busy, clattering life into a humble place of just “being” at His feet. Here, you will surrender; be laid bare, open, yielded, and ready to move only as He directs.

The discipline of stillness and solitude require practice, but soon in the midst of your chaotic life, you will find the ability to be still and know the presence of God.

Join me in developing this discipline. As you begin, don’t get frustrated if five minutes seems like forever. It will soon be fifteen minutes and before you know it, sitting in stillness for extended amounts of time, will be time that you will desire and willingly run to. Let’s joyfully surrender to a place of stillness found only at the feet of Jesus.

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.  Ps. 62:5 (ESV)

It’s ALL in the Waiting!

“It’s a waiting game.” We hear that all the time when something we are hoping for, expecting, desiring or needing doesn’t come about in “our” set time frame. Waiting requires something from us – patience. Yes – patience – a dirty word we don’t like to think about. But patience is required whenever we find ourselves in the “waiting game” – where prayers have been lifted over and over with what seems to be no answer. But the waiting process is not in our control but His.

In my garden I plant tulips and daffodils in the fall and then I wait. They need to “chill out” in the deep cold soil – waiting for the right time. That waiting time is necessary for them just as it often is for us.

Sometimes the answer we are asking God for may not be – no – but – wait. His time is perfect. Our job is to “chill out” and allow His perfect work to develop within us, and that perfect work may require times of growing underground in the deep character areas of our lives.

This process of waiting develops many attributes that can’t come to completion any other way. Our faith is fortified – patience brings about strength, perseverance, hope, long-suffering, joy, kindness, gentleness and peace to mention just a few of the beautiful bulbs that are down there just waiting to bloom in the midst of your waiting.

Rest today in the “waiting game” that you find yourself in; trust that God has beauty planted deep within and your joy will bloom at just the right time.

Romans 5:3-5 This doesn’t mean, of course, that we have only a hope of future joys—we can be full of joy here and now even in our trials and troubles. Taken in the right spirit these very things will give us patient endurance; this in turn will develop a mature character, and a character of this sort produces a steady hope, a hope that will never disappoint us. Already we have some experience of the love of God flooding through our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us. (Phillips)

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (ESV)

 

His Perfect Wave

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The warmth of the sun and the sand, along with the rhythmic movement of the ocean’s waves – just feet away – will easily lull the senses into a peace and calm not found many places. But as you lift your eyes and look out into the ocean you perceive a different story, one of tension and expansive movement.

Previously unnoticed a lone surfer has passed that calm warm sandy beach and persistently slogged through the shallow waves, reaching deeper and deeper. Soon, the only way to go further and deeper was to climb onto his surfboard and push against the pressures of the current. He continued his arduous outward endeavor, going further and further from shore. Seeming to either find the right place or just tiring out; he settles on the board – now sitting and surveying his newly acquired territory. Expecting him to stand and take each incoming wave, it is a wonder that he allows them, one by one to pass by as he waits. What is he waiting for? What is it he sees? How will he know the right one? When will he move forward?

These questions may never get answered for as if on queue, he slowly stands as a single – not so big – swell begins to form. He slowly lifts as the wave takes on a life of its own – growing in height and power. The sound of its approach is exhilarating. The waves upward movement, the slide forward and the beautiful delivery down to the waiting warm sand is exquisite. The surfer, like a dancer on a ballroom floor, sways with each move and sound that this incredible wave produces. This was the wave worth waiting for and this patient surfer reaped the joy found within her – riding this wave upward, forward and through the completion as he is delivered right out onto the warm sand. What a spectacular ride!

This picture of a very experienced surfer is played out differently as new surfers make many unsuccessful attempts to catch the perfect wave – getting dumped before they reach the top, being pulled under, and even eating and drinking both sand and salt water in the process. Learning the part that patience plays in this sport is what makes it worth the ride.

As we walk in our own life journey, it is much the same – learning to hear His voice, stepping out, moving forward and sometimes actually catching the “perfect” wave. His desire is to allow a spectacular ride – one where you wait, you listen, you stand and HE takes it from there. You ride with HIM as the wave moves up, slides forward and beautifully delivers you onto the waiting sand. When we find that rhythm – we can’t wait to slog back out, arduously paddle deeper, push further and further out, for we know as we wait patiently – His perfect wave of HIS plan, HIS direction, HIS purpose – for this ride – will come. And when it comes – WOW – it will be one spectacular ride.

Philippians 3: 13b-14 But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Photography courtesy of J.K.Sanchez Photography

Free Access to the Throne

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? ” Esther 4:14 (ESV)

We read this passage and picture a confident bold woman marching into the King, ready to challenge the unjust decree against her nation. This is far from the truth that is found in the full story.

Esther was a young, vulnerable woman – armed with a few attributes that ultimately became weapons through the hand of God and brought deliverance. No foot stomping, no raised voice, no screaming demands or threats were needed. Trust, humility, obedience and the wisdom of God were carried on her head and shoulders as she entered the throne room.

Esther trusted her uncle’s advice and trusted that God was in charge of the situation. Armed with that trust she stepped under a mantle of humility as she accepted the presented task.  With that spirit of humility, she requested help. It was time to pray! She entrusted this time of prayer and fasting to those that she was willingly stepping in the gap to save. It was this designated time in the presence of God that brought his intervention.

I don’t believe that the three days of prayer and fasting were easy for her. Just as Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane asked for a way out “if it be possible let this cup pass from me”; she also, had to come to a place of obedience at all cost. Esther’s obedience- her YES Lord – came during that time of prayer, waiting, listening, and trusting in a God who is good ALL the time – “even if” the answer might be NO.

The wisdom of God began to seep into her quieted mind sometime during those days of waiting in His presence. It was here that she was given very specific plans; and the only agenda she went into the throne room with, was God’s. Following those plans – doing it God’s way, turned the tables of history.  Most of us would NOT have invited the King and our enemy over for dinner.

Esther came before the king – confident – but confident that God was in control.

She glided into that room with humility and the favor of God that stirred the King; not only did he hold the scepter out to her, invite her to him, deliver her from the law of death but he also offered her the ability to ask for whatever she desired. Now that is FAVOR! That favor delivered an entire nation from death.

This is a great inspiring story, but what does it have to do with us – now – today?

This story shows us our place in prayer. Our ability to step into the gap – to go into the throne room – to carry requests for deliverance to Our King, and it is a choice set before each of us. We have been gifted, free of charge, great-unlimited access! When we obediently enter His presence with complete trust and humility, our Father always listens. Wisdom, direction, freedom and deliverance are only a breath away.

Don’t step back, wait or think you will stand in prayer for that person, that situation, that illness, that event – next time or “maybe tomorrow”. Take your place on the wall – stand in the gap between the broken and the needy; be willingly to lay down your agenda and with trust and obedience boldly go to the throne room of our Father – for it is TIME to pray.

“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”