Hey... got five minutes?

Psalm 19:14 O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 46:10 Be still and know...that I AM God.

We don't "feel" God, we "know" God. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and "know" that I am God...", it doesn't say, "Test the winds today to see which way they blow and see if you feel God in your life." And, how do we get to know someone....we spend time with them. How well could we possibly say we know someone if we rarely spend quality time with them? That person would be merely an aquaintance, not a friend. No one has bared their soul to you more than Jesus! The bible tells everything about Him..from how He was there before the earth was established to His humiliating public death on the cross, then resurrection from the grave to His promise of returning for us to deliver us from a world that is going to self destruct. He has revealed every aspect of Himself to you because He wants a relationship with you. Will you stop your hurried life to sit and be still with the One who loves you?

Staying busy is way easier than being still. Why is that so true when it comes to spending time with Jesus? What are we so afraid of? Some will say that they spend much time before Christ in prayer, and that's good...but, we also need the time of stillness with Him. Have you ever had such a good friend in someone  that you didn't have to constantly entertain them but you could just "be there" with them...no words, no busyness, just quiet time in the company of a special friend. The first picture of that, that comes to my mind are the fishermen I see when we go up to the mountains! They are either alone or with a friend but they are silent for the most part and they practice a patience and stillness that is rarely seen! I just sit in wonder at the peace they are enjoying. They know how to be still and wait AND they love to sit around with their friends afterwards and tell stories! Fisherman are a unique breed and maybe that's why Jesus chose them as His closest friends!

It's so contrary to our nature to sit in stillness. Many will spend a lot of money to go to a spa or on a vacation so that they can try to be still. Some wish they had the time or money to do that but they will consider the time alone in their car or at the dentist as a quiet time of almost stillness for them. I think most of us can relate to certain moments that bring that sense of peace, such as a moment in the sun, where it's warmth seems to be like a blanket over you and your mind calms down to a point where you whisper your thanks to God. You may lay there for awhile and just let your thoughts drift to God, then His quiet still voice may speak back to you! A serene time of ebb and flow with your closest friend and Savior! How wonderful and sacred are those times. Yet when we return back to our busy lives we seem to loose that slice of life. These sacred moments seem to not have a place in our busy lives and we start to practice the ritual of only having them when we get away rather than incorporate them into our daily grind as we should. It's not about running ourselves ragged then dragging our lifeless bodies to some place of refuge! A matter of fact most people won't stop till they get sick and are forced to retreat! There is a solution...or compromise if you prefer...

Start by setting aside five minutes of holy time, holy means set apart as special, like we are called to be in this world. Set a timer and you will find very quickly that your time will be up before you're ready to stop! Open your bible before you with a pen in hand and read just a paragraph or parable while you underline certain words or sentences that speak to you, then close your eyes and just let God fill your mind. You don't need to think or have an inner monologue. I picture myself sitting lakeside with Jesus and the tiny waves are just tapping the shore with a rhythmic beat as the two of us just stare out at the serene view. As you practice this you will see yourself mature in this holy time and you will discover that it is not a scary thing nor a ritual that you should reserve for only mountain retreats! You will be digesting God's Word into your being and adopting heavenly thoughts to dwell in you richly! The longer you dwell in the garden, the more you'll smell like roses! That's why we're here...is to bring the sweet aroma of God to others. They will see His image in us because our time with Him will radiate from us! He will be glorified through our sacrifice of time and our obedience to His calling.

Some may say, "I serve God with my time that I give generously to others." That's a good thing, but we all have so much that we can give before we need to be filled again, and the same is said of filling our life with so much that we need to empty it out at times! We all need God to not only fill us but to empty us also. I know people that are about to burst because they take all of life's burdens in, but never sit with their Savior and empty themselves of all the stress and worry! I also know people that never read God's Word or sit with Jesus and there is no in-flow of fresh water into their lives, they are stagnant and they try to use their acts of service as brownie points with God! All Jesus wants is to spend time with you so you can leave being filled with His power and love and also be emptied of your stress, anger, worry, bitterness.... It's really simple and pure but our fears keep it complicated because that's exactly what the enemy wants! Satan's main objective is to get you to not spend time with God in that special way because he knows that if you do that, you will fall in love with your Savior and you won't be able to be deceived anymore!

Surrender and find peace.

The Lord is my Shepard, I will not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters...He restores my soul.