"But when you go pray, go way by yourself, shut the door behind you and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you." (Matthew 6:6 NLT)
I’m so glad for a God who sees everything. There’s no room for interpretation. And even when we are alone, we have a witness. Whether we face joy our tragedy, victory, defeat, disappointment or deep injustice: God sees.
Then, when we go to Him in prayer, He helps us sort our situation out accurately: as it really happened, as we truly are. In our time alone with our Father, He imparts a self-awareness we cannot possibly attain on our own.
Our church is still parked in Psalm 23. A few Sundays back, Rob preached on verse 2. He shared on the importance of rest and reflection in order to experience restoration. Quiet waters provide just such a place. Beauty disarms our personal defense system and still waters allow for careful self-examination. We gaze into the waters of our inner man and see ourselves as the Lord does. It is in these out-of-the-way places – stream side and in our prayer closet – that God gets our attention and speaks truth. These times of repose in His presence are critical to the health and keeping of our soul.
"He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters." (Psalm 23:2 NASB1995)
When we avoid such reflection sessions, we live busy and bothered. Our inner conflicts remain unresolved. Our soul spins on without rest and we weary, worn down by the brutal business of life. We feel unloved, unseen and misunderstood. It simply isn’t true, but we must slow ourselves down long enough to correct the narrative.
"Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, "Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." (Mark 6:31 NIV)
It’s been a long while since I shared it, but my word for 2022 has not altered. Still. Our great, big, good God is still calling us to stillness. He’s still pursing us, inviting us into a space and a pace apart from the crush of career and calendar and commitments and crazy. He’s persistently whispering our name, waiting patiently for our response. Will we walk away from the clamor long enough to restore our soul?
"He says "Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted among the earth." (Psalm 46:10 NIV)
Lord, forgive us for fighting against stillness and solitude. The quiet You call us to is so out of step with the world we live in. Today we are reminded that alone time with You accomplishes something we can never achieve on our own. Give us the gumption to get alone in Your presence. Help us prioritize our quiet place with You. Meet us in the prayer closet. Tend to our torn-up souls. Speak life and truth and put us back together as only a loving Creator can. And then boomerang our souls right back into Your quiet care again tomorrow or sooner. Amen.