Be Still

How much time do you spend on hold? Standing in line at the grocery store? Waiting for your spouse to come to the car so you can go to church services? On and on it goes. Don't people know that you are busy. Places to go, people to see. How many times when you ask someone how they are doing do they say, "Busy!" (Usually, that means they're not doing anything. In all my years of life, I've discovered the more that people have to tell you they're busy, they're not.)
BUT, busyness is one of Satan's tools. Too busy to go there, too busy to do that. When's the last time you just sat down with God's word? Nothing to do but read, meditate, study, quiet time. You probably think it would be wonderful to be a preacher because they have enough time to do just that. Read, meditate, study, quiet time. The fact is, at least in my case, I find myself preparing for so many things that I fail to slow down and read, meditate, study, quiet time for me. That's not selfishness, that's a necessity.
There's a reason why God says, "Be still and know that I am God." I used to think that meant be quiet. I think that may be one aspect of it. One time when I was a youth minister, we had a fall hayride, cookout, thing way out in the boonies of Northwest Arkansas. I thought it would be cool to read that verse and then hear the sounds of the night. Right after I read it, the loudest pickup truck in history buzzed by. Kinda messed up the effect.
Remember when your kids were little and they were sitting (allegedly) with you at church and they were fidgeting and talking and moving and embarrassing? You picked them up and firmly placed them on the pew and said, "Be still!" Maybe that's what God is saying to us--"Be still.....and know I am God."
That's when we discover God. In the quietness of the morning. In the calm from the busyness. Finally slowing down with no agenda but to listen to His voice. We need to do it more often. Better yet, we need to do it. Spend some time with God today. You'll be pleasantly surprised. And a peace will come to you that you never knew possible. He's waiting. There's no line. Have a good day! JW