Have you ever felt that way? Life is so crazy, and so many things come at us from so many different angles that it seems impossible to stop long enough to eat and sleep, let alone a definite quiet time with God. And it feels like we miss God all the time. Are we moving too fast or is God not talking? I want to set up some parameters for this idea...
First, in John 5:17, Jesus says, "My father is always at His work..." That means that no matter whether we are sensing God's leading or not, He is doing things around us all the time. We don't have to ever worry about whether or not God is doing His part. He will always do His part!
Second, in Psalm 46:10, God says, "Be still and know that I am God..." So we constantly work on the back half of that phrase while spending very little time on the first half. I have seen this phrase plastered all over everything. Heck, I had a coffee mug with this verse painted on the side. Which if you think about it, is a bit of a contradiction! (Caffeine makes it hard to sit still or be quiet). But when was the last time that we sat down and really focused on being still? When was the last time we quieted our hearts enough to gain clarity on anything. Even for those who choose to fast, we often fast but life still happens at such a rate that we don't slow down and wait and watch and know. I would submit that you can't truly know that He is God unless you slow down enough to let Him close the gaps in our life. Instead of wishing for more hours in the day or more hands to juggle more obligations in a day, maybe we should slow down enough to watch God work and resolve many of the issues that keep us up at night.
Third, if you are struggling with this right now, you are already thinking BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME!!!!! I want to give you a quote from George Mueller...
George Mueller, after having read the Bible through one hundred times with increasing delight, made this statement: "I look upon it as a lost day when I have not had a good time over the Word of God".
He explained "Friends often say, 'I have so much to do, so many people to see, I cannot find time for Scripture study.' Perhaps there are not many who have more to do than I. For more than 50 years I have never known one day when I had not more business than I could get through. For 4 years I have had annually about 30,000 letters, and most of these have passed through my own hands."
"Then, as pastor of a church with 1,200 believers, great has been my care. Besides, I have had charge of live immense orphanages; also, at my publishing depot, the printing and circulating of millions of tracts, books, and Bibles; but I have always made it a rule never to begin work until I have had a good season with God and His Word. The blessing I have received has been wonderful."
May we never think that the world's obligations should take priority over God's time. May we be still and know that He is God, that He is in control, and that that He is always working. And May we stand and be amazed at the handy work of God, and always give Him the glory!!!
Its interesting how being a Christian is so utterly simple. We just need to pursue God through worship and prayer, and love others. Thats it. Yet, most of us can't find 10 minutes a day to read the very words that hold the universe together. Lately, I have been getting into the word more than any other time in my life. However, substitute teaching has also been slow, so I have had time to do so. I can't speak for someone who is working 10 hours a day, its hard. For me, getting a taste of how powerful this time has been for my family, and my life, I am COMMITTED to keeping this time, no matter how many new kids that come along, or when teaching picks up. Its so simple: if I can just pursue God, all of that other junk will take care of itself.
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