It is in the still moments when you hear from God. The terms being still, being quiet, being calm, and being silent are in the bible 35 times and divided equally between the Old Testament and the New Testament. This means that the bible has talked about this presence of calm and peace sense the beginning of time.
Why is this important? It is because God will not compete with the phone, TV, email, internet, news or any other distraction. He wants to be the center of your quiet time and the center of that moment. God will not shout over the noise of your life. I find that I hear from God when I am still and quiet and I choose him.
I remember back in the early 90’s when we were so in debt and I had two young daughters, a beautiful wife and more debt than I could pay. One particular day I decided to get alone and stop all the noise so I could hear from God. This can be done in a bedroom with the door closed, a closet, and garage or in a car. I chose to go to Vogel State Park for the night. I remember when I got there I took out a yellow writing pad, bowed my head and asked God to speak to me and give me wisdom and direction to get out of debt.
A funny thing happened when I started to write on that yellow pad. I started to write any thoughts that came to my mind and it was as if God was writing through me. I don’t mean some hocus pocus Casper the ghost moment. It was a God moment. I just remember I was writing down a plan for how to get out of debt and many of those thoughts were new to me. I remember at the time thinking that this was just me and my emotions, but I wrote page after page on that yellow pad. When I finished I realized that most of what I had written was giving me direction in my life. That trip and that night and that word from God was one of the most important events in my personal, professional and Christian life.
I was looking through some old stuff not long ago and I came across that yellow pad and the words written on it. I begin to read what was written and my mind raced back to that evening at Vogel State Park and I can tell you that those words written some 20+ years ago still stirred my heart and made my eyes wet with the power and the memory of that quiet time with God.
Find a moment to be alone, still and quiet. Ask God if you are being the man or woman you should be, and if not, ask him for his direction and wisdom on how to become what he wants you to be. My suggestion is to get a writing pad and put the date at the top and where you are at that moment and really began to write out your needs, hopes, desires and the prayers for your life. Years from now when you look back on those words, I trust they will mean as much to you as mine meant to me. KT