The Lord is so good! I am much like Bev mentioned in this week's chapter. I am decidedly NOT an auditory learner. I learn far better by seeing what I need to learn than hearing it. I think that is why so often the Lord teaches me through object lessons. This week we had a birthday party at my house for my little one year old granddaughter. She gave to me the perfect object lesson for one of the primary verses we used in this chapter: Psalm 131:2-"But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me." By the end of her party, Adley was spent. Her day was napless, and she had more than her fair share of birthday cupcakes. Her sugar high had crashed, and she was feeling every bit of her fatigue and low blood sugar. Adley was pretty much inconsolable...except with her mom. All Adley wanted was her mom to hold her. Once in Kaley's arms, Adley found peace and was able to relax. What a picture!!!!
The next day as I read this passage, I could not help but think of my little Adley bug content in her mom's arms, cuddled up close to her. That is what I can experience with God! That is what you can experience with God! Why in the world do we let such peace slip though our fingers each day???? Are we crazy????
I found it interesting that on page 53, Linda writes;
"I am tired, but not from physical labor. My tiredness comes from the frantic pace of life around me. Yours likely does too. As I look at my friends and myself, I fear we are becoming nervous, anxious, overactive people who don't know how to be still. We rarely give our full attention to anyone or anything. We're always thinking ahead to the next thing that must be done, the next person we must talk to and check off our list. We do the same with God. We hurry our "quiet time," which is anything but quiet. Our bodies sit, but our minds race. Ready to get on with the day, we hope our moments with God win His approval."
I wrote next to the passage: "Whoa!!!" These words hit too close to home and even in this week. I found myself getting on with my devotions so I could get on with my day. There was no time to "crawl up into the lap of God and rest like a weaned child." I had things to do!!!
What I loved about this chapter is that Linda made it clear this was a common ailment for those of us who truly love God and want to go deeper in our relationship with Him. She also made it clear that this kind of fast paced loving of God was unworthy of Him and counterproductive to our lives. What an epiphany!!! The SOLE purpose of all my rushing is to be productive and not lose a moment to idleness. Some years back, my oldest granddaughter, who was all of four or five years old at the time, asked me why I was "rushing all the time." Obviously, this has been an issue in my life for quite awhile. There have been those wonderful moments when I have entered into some sweet times with my Lord and I think "I will never go back to that frenetic way of life again." But somehow...someway it sneaks itself back in:( This, though, I know is true...once you have experienced God on a deeper level, you crave it for the rest of your life, and I believe God will not let us rest until we find out way back to His loving, peaceful arms.
One of the practical ideas that I will be using this week is having a notepad and pen next to me as I worship and the minute one of those Oh, so important thoughts hits my head...as I know they will...I will jot them down quickly and get back to focusing on Who is truly important.
I am bound and determined to grow in my worship. I so want to please Him and to bring Him joy and pleasure. I have got to wrap my mind around the truth that my most fruitful time is on my knees worshiping the God of the Universe who is worthy of my time and devotion.
Love and a worshipful, restful time in His arms this week:)
Cherri
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A while back, I read a different book about Praise & worship. I began to look at it from a new perspective, like that of a life style choice. An every day type of decision. This book is an excellent book on this subject, and this chapter on being "still" screaming my name. I run as fast as I can , as hard as I can most days. My mind runs a million miles a minute with tasks I want to accomplish. Some important, some.. not so much. Anyway, when I really think about worship... only God truly knows my heart. Hands raised or not, singing or stoic, only God truly knows. But to think about it is interesting to me.... When I began to lose family members, heaven became a more real place to me. I find myself asking questions like, When we sing Sunday mornings... Do we join the angels or do they join us??? Studying in Revelation... What does The Throne look like or the 4 beasts for that matter, What about the emerald rainbow, how majestic that must be.
ReplyDelete??? Will we see Jesus as the Lion or the Lamb, or both???? I have spent time at the feet of Jesus, in sorrow & in joy... and when you do, there is nothing quite like it, for sure!! Like Beth Moore says "There's no high like The Most High." I have heard a heart of devotion always out produces a heart of duty. Let us sit at His precious feet and grow more and more in love with him, more and more confident in Him. Most of the stuff we busy ourselves with now, won't matter 50 years from now. It just makes more sense to slow down and be still.
I love what you have to say, Lynn!!! The truth of your statement "Most of the stuff we busy ourselves with now, won't matter 50 years from now" made me think about the truth in my life is that much of what I "busy myself with" won't matter in a week!
ReplyDeleteOver the years I have learned that I can be very honest with the Lord. So I hear myself telling Him on more than one morning..."I feel rushed, Lord. I feel like I need to get going and I don't have time to sit here with You. Help me, Lord, to calm my heart and give you some still time." What begins as a moment of "gutting it out" (making a choice like you mentioned)
ends with God meeting me in a Scripture or in a worship song or in the midst of a prayer. He is good to love us where we are and encourage us like a good father when we make a right choice.
Thanks for your comment, Lynn!!