For God alone my soul waits in silence. From Him comes my salvation. (Verse 1)
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37
Do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing any should perish but all should reach repentance.
I Peter 3
I have seen some things on this earth that awe me to silence. The redwood forest in northern California. Lake Tahoe and its breathtaking expanse and rugged forests. Orphan children in Cambodia. The warm, snuggling babies of my own I have held for the first time in my arms. Grandsons. The sunsets over the ocean that create colors in the sky and on the lapping waves that are impossible to recreate in light and hue. The Royal Gorge. The Maui coastline from a parasail. The death of my father-in-law. All mysterious to me in wonder and import. Language far too shallow for the moment.
Yesterday's sermon at my church was on the transfiguration of Christ in Mark 9. While his disciples sleep (they did that a lot at important times), Jesus is changed into His more heavenly state as He meets with Moses and Elijah on a mountaintop. Only Peter, James and John were allowed there and perhaps their sleep was God-ordained. One must wonder what they would've said as Jesus walked into the eternal presence of the Law-giver and the Prophet who had come to discuss His death and resurrection with Him. But the three awoke with Jesus mid-conversation. Jesus was aglow, His body changed to look ethereal and strange. The three men were terrified at the visage. Didn't know what to think. Can you imagine this, though? Peter actually interrupts the heavenly conversation. He didn't know what to say, the Bible says, so he says something! Dumb. "How about let's build three tents for you guys to spend the night up here in?" What?
I have done such a foolish thing. Said something because it was just too quiet. Nervous in the silence, I blurt something irrelevant and ridiculous. Inappropriate to the occasion. For Peter, the rebuke was instant. A cloud overshadowed them on the mountain and a voice from the cloud spoke: "This is my Beloved Son. Listen to Him." Ouch. Of course, the imperative was broader than just a rebuke to Peter. Listen to the Christ, for He is Mine. Hear Him as He tells you of His coming death and resurrection. Understand His mission to fulfill the law and the prophets. Be silent before Him. Be quiet. Don't talk. Take Him in. He is too marvelous for your mere words.
Waiting on God for anything? What are you saying to yourself in the process? Really. Are you asking yourself: "Will He ever do what I ask of Him?" or "When? I am so weary of this prayer." Are you listening to naysayers who tell you God will never come through? Does the enemy of your soul have a tape he plays over and over again in your head that you have come to listen to instead of pushing STOP? You are not alone, if this is where you are. But this isn't what our God wants from us.
Be awed by Him as I am by the sunset over the ocean. It is too grand to be haphazard. Too breathtaking to be minimized. And it is His hand that paints it across the horizon. So much greater is He than His creation! His mind conceived and designed all at which we wonder. He is that much greater than all we need. Look past all we wait for today. Breathe deeply in awe and be silent before Him for Whom time has no particular meaning. In the days and hours of waiting, sit with Him in the comfort of the quiet, closing the door to the voices that would interrupt with the dumb response to His greater plan for you. Hold His hand and watch the sunrise together. Your Father has all the time in the world. Listen to Him.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37
Do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing any should perish but all should reach repentance.
I Peter 3
I have seen some things on this earth that awe me to silence. The redwood forest in northern California. Lake Tahoe and its breathtaking expanse and rugged forests. Orphan children in Cambodia. The warm, snuggling babies of my own I have held for the first time in my arms. Grandsons. The sunsets over the ocean that create colors in the sky and on the lapping waves that are impossible to recreate in light and hue. The Royal Gorge. The Maui coastline from a parasail. The death of my father-in-law. All mysterious to me in wonder and import. Language far too shallow for the moment.
Yesterday's sermon at my church was on the transfiguration of Christ in Mark 9. While his disciples sleep (they did that a lot at important times), Jesus is changed into His more heavenly state as He meets with Moses and Elijah on a mountaintop. Only Peter, James and John were allowed there and perhaps their sleep was God-ordained. One must wonder what they would've said as Jesus walked into the eternal presence of the Law-giver and the Prophet who had come to discuss His death and resurrection with Him. But the three awoke with Jesus mid-conversation. Jesus was aglow, His body changed to look ethereal and strange. The three men were terrified at the visage. Didn't know what to think. Can you imagine this, though? Peter actually interrupts the heavenly conversation. He didn't know what to say, the Bible says, so he says something! Dumb. "How about let's build three tents for you guys to spend the night up here in?" What?
I have done such a foolish thing. Said something because it was just too quiet. Nervous in the silence, I blurt something irrelevant and ridiculous. Inappropriate to the occasion. For Peter, the rebuke was instant. A cloud overshadowed them on the mountain and a voice from the cloud spoke: "This is my Beloved Son. Listen to Him." Ouch. Of course, the imperative was broader than just a rebuke to Peter. Listen to the Christ, for He is Mine. Hear Him as He tells you of His coming death and resurrection. Understand His mission to fulfill the law and the prophets. Be silent before Him. Be quiet. Don't talk. Take Him in. He is too marvelous for your mere words.
Waiting on God for anything? What are you saying to yourself in the process? Really. Are you asking yourself: "Will He ever do what I ask of Him?" or "When? I am so weary of this prayer." Are you listening to naysayers who tell you God will never come through? Does the enemy of your soul have a tape he plays over and over again in your head that you have come to listen to instead of pushing STOP? You are not alone, if this is where you are. But this isn't what our God wants from us.
Be awed by Him as I am by the sunset over the ocean. It is too grand to be haphazard. Too breathtaking to be minimized. And it is His hand that paints it across the horizon. So much greater is He than His creation! His mind conceived and designed all at which we wonder. He is that much greater than all we need. Look past all we wait for today. Breathe deeply in awe and be silent before Him for Whom time has no particular meaning. In the days and hours of waiting, sit with Him in the comfort of the quiet, closing the door to the voices that would interrupt with the dumb response to His greater plan for you. Hold His hand and watch the sunrise together. Your Father has all the time in the world. Listen to Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment