One Important Thing
The problem is… I’m off-focus. I’m concentrating on doing things for
God, rather than spending time with
him. But, God’s been adjusting my focus with his words in Isaiah:
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."[1]
Repentance It’s a scary word. It conjures up images of red-faced preachers with
big black Bibles. At least it used to,
until God showed me another picture of repentance:
In the Parable of the
Prodigal Son,[2] a son asks his father for an early inheritance. Then he leaves town and
parties away his windfall. Broke, dirty
and hungry, he comes to his senses. He repents.
He heads home to humbly ask his father’s forgiveness. Dad’s there waiting and watching for
him. Upon the son’s arrival, the father runs
to his boy, throws his arms around him, and kisses him. As I repent, turning from my "doing" mentality to "being" with God, he's waiting with open arms.
Rest My soul is at rest in God’s presence. I run, run, run. All my running isn’t necessary. Only one thing is important. Like Mary (and not Martha), I need to sit at
Jesus’ feet. [3]
Quietness Unless I’m quiet, unless I lean in and
listen, I can’t hear God over the din.
Elijah looked for God in the storm, the earthquake, and the fire. God was not there. He came in a gentle whisper.[4] Until I get quiet, I don’t hear his whisper.
Trust It always comes down to trust. Do I trust God’s character? Do I believe he is good even when life is
bad? Am I convinced God’s will is better
than my own wonderful plans? “Yes” opens
the door to God’s transforming power.
“No” leaves the door closed.
But you would have none
of it. I’ve been there. I’ve followed
God in my own strength, ignoring his directives to pull back and rest. I like doing.
I like to be busy. I feel
productive. I feel important. I’ve pushed on without rest and quietness,
without intimately connecting to him.
Eventually, I crash.[5]
December was a month of
planning, preparing, and doing. Now that it's January I need repentance, rest, quietness, and trust. God’s response to all my planning: Peggi, you don’t need to make all that stuff
happen. I’ll make happen what I desire
to have happen. You need to stay vitally connected to me.
Lord, help me focus on the one thing that is
important. Amen.
Something to think
about…
- What's your picture of repentance?
- Can you hear God’s gentle whisper? Stop now. Spend a quiet moment in his presence.
- Do you trust God? The more time I spend with God, the more I know him. The more I know him, the more I trust him. God wants you to know him better.
- Suggested reading: Discovering Soul Care by Mindy Caliguire (www.soulcare.com).
Hi Peggi,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wonderful posts. I love the way you write and you really inspire me. "Be still and know that I am God" is such a reminder for me to take time out to spend with God instead of doing so many other things. Keep up your awesome posts!
Cindy Grove
Hi Cindy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your encouraging words. I appreciate you taking the time to read the blog! Yes, the "Be still" Scripture is another powerful reminder. I'm glad you shared it. :)