Be Still and Listen
Café Menu for Monday, March 21, 2016
Today’s Special is: Quietly Waiting For The Voice of God
Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Carolyn Dale Newell
Main Ingredient:
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
1 Kings 19:11-12 NKJV
Entrée:
Do you ever feel broken by the demands life puts on you? Are you shaken by the stress of a strenuous schedule? Do you stand watching your plans go up in smoke around you?
The Lord was not in the wind or the earthquake, nor did Elijah see Him in the fire.
Sometimes this world gets too noisy, and we cannot hear the still small voice of God. We need to get away from the clamor, the stressful job and the demands that fill our day.
Doctor appointments, house repairs, car repairs, a dinner here, a meeting there. Before you know it, you are exhausted. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Your responses are unkind and you feel the weight of the world is lying upon your chest.
Satan will dish out as long as we try to manage, but soon, something will give.
Jesus said,
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 NKJV
Daily, we need to be still and hear His voice. We cannot allow our overscheduled lives to push out the time we need to spend with our Father. We need to pray. We need to read the Bible. We need to meditate and hear from Him.
Sounds wonderful, but how do we find the time? We schedule it. We say “no” to some things and some people. We entrust situations to God instead of bearing the burdens alone.
Take a Jesus break, before your burdens break you. What cares can you cast into the capable arms of Christ today?
Take Out:
Pencil in a time on your calendar or on your smartphone to take that Jesus break. Prayerfully examine your life. What responsibilities can someone else handle? What are the priorities, and what can be put on the back burner? Don’t allow sinful pride to keep you from asking for a helping hand.
Dessert:
Father God,
You didn’t design us for busyness. When I skip my time with You, my life is chaotic. Remove the stress. Grant us wisdom to rearrange our schedules. Help us say, “no” when necessary. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
© 2016 by Carolyn Dale Newell All rights reserved.
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Originally published Monday, 21 March 2016.
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