This past week was pivotal in my relationship with God. I decided that I could no longer continue to give the world so much of my time during the weekdays. Human-beings are creatures of habit, and we sometimes let social media, or the television consume way too much of our time because we’ve adapted these things in our daily routine. We indulge them unconsciously, and don’t think about the amount of time we’re losing or wasting, when we could be spending it with Heavenly Father. Sure, like many believers, my weekends are mostly dedicated to things of the Kingdom, but God instructs us in Romans 12:1 to present our total beings to Him as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable. He desires all of us, not just parts and pieces.
Most of us have jobs, families and recreational activities that we find time for. It’s also worth mentioning that we have all these modern conveniences and technological devices to help us manage our time, and still it seems we’re not prioritizing appropriately. Everything in life will only amount to the chatter of noise if we’re not making the Lord the center of our existence. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 6:33(NLT), “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
People who’ve spent time dating and trying to find the right person to fit into their lives are very eager to spend time with the person they’re interested in. This is because we all realize that you can’t get to know someone without spending time together and conversing with one another. The same is true with Heavenly Father. It can never be questioned that our relationship with God is the most important of any other. In order to have a close and intimate relationship, spending quiet time with Him is a must, and it should be our highest priority. How else will you hear his voice? A beautiful demonstration of the quietness of mind that you and I must have is in the record of 1Kings 19:11-13(NLT), when God spoke to the prophet, Elijah:
11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Sometimes, we find it difficult to escape the routines of life – even for a moment, but just as the prophet Elijah escaped to the cave for fear his life was in jeopardy, we too must get away from the noisiness of life. The prophet Elijah didn’t find God in the thunderous noises of earth’s wonders, but in the stillness of time, in God’s gentle whisper.
Psalm 37:7(NLT) says, “Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.” Often it takes extreme circumstances to get people’s attention, alerting them that they’ve slipped and need to draw close to God. Then, they come to Him in duress, never repenting for neglecting their relationship with Him. James 4:4-5(NLT) labels it an adulterous act to rob God of the quiet time He is due. This passage warns, “4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?” God desires intimacy and closeness with us, and when we put Him first and properly prioritize our time with Him, we’ll be rewarded, and find that we’ll have plenty of time for what’s really important in life.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“You Won’t Find Him in the Noise ” written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.