By Robin Wiley - Have a great week!!!
Scripture
"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10 (ESV).
For the Adults:
Time is that rare modern commodity of which for many, we never have enough, until now! Because of the shelter-in-place rules – we seem to have nothing BUT time on our hands. Time to be productive or time to waste. Even time to be still, but are we deepening our relationship to God? Are we listening to Him in the midst of the world's Covid-19 turmoil?
Being still is not easy; in fact, it is more difficult than ever before. We have become technology gluttons, bombarded with a clamor of smart phones, computers, tablets, I-pads, radios, and TVs. From sun-up to sundown, the sights and sounds never stop. As we move through our day, we must take some time to unplug—literally—from the world.
Some people stay plugged-in to run from reality. As long as their minds are filled with these noisy distractions, they don't have to think about or evaluate their decisions in life, their relationships with others, or their relationship (or lack thereof) with the Creator.
For others, staying plugged-in is a habit; they can't think, work, or play without background sounds. Many need such noise to lull them to sleep. Personally, I have to have a fan to sleep because of the constant noise it makes.
Back in December while visiting family in Austin, we all went on a bicycle ride to a nearby park. I went off on my own down a narrow path and I came up behind a speed walker wearing earplugs. To let her know I was coming I called out, "Good morning!" No reply. I called out again, a bit louder, "Good morning! Can you hear me?" No reply. "Hello! On your left (is bicycle talk when passing someone) please!” I called out again as my bike inched closer. Again, nothing. Slowing down to maneuver safely around her, I tried again, "Good morning." She never looked up or acknowledged I was there. How rude!
I imagine that God calls out to us above the noise saying, "Hello, can you hear me now?" When there's a steady stream of noise in our lives and we're always "plugged-in," we are allowing the world to mold our minds and determine our thoughts, which makes cultivating a deeper relationship with God more difficult (how rude of us!). In essence, we are ignoring God’s voice and I can only guess that action hurts Him, just like when friends, family or even strangers ignore us.
The Holy Spirit can certainly penetrate the constant commotion—and one way or another if He wants to get your attention He will get through. However, by allowing stillness in our lives—to think about God, and permitting our souls to marinate in His Word as we work and play—God will speak to us in new ways; and we will hear Him—maybe for the first time!
"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" Philippians 4:8-9 (ESV).
For the kiddos:
Enter:
· Try an exercise of just sitting in silence for 30 seconds (60 seconds if you can) with eyes closed.
· Was it difficult to keep silent?
· What thoughts came to mind in your silence?
· What are ways we can listen to God?
Hear:
Read the Bible Passages. (Psalm 46:10, Philippians 4:8-9 (ESV)) For younger children, a picture Bible may be used.
Pause
Take a few seconds, or maybe a minute to sit with the scripture in silence. With little ones, it may be a ten count, but we can sit still and let God’s word work in their hearts!
Wonder:
· How can you quiet your mind and minimize distractions that get in the way of hearing from God?
· What does this phrase, "Be still, and know that I am God.” mean to you?
· Share a story of your own experience with your family when God spoke to your heart. What did He say? What happened?
Bless:
Affirm what was discussed about the story.
Listen for God when reading the Bible. God speaks to us in our thoughts and it’s the Holy Spirit that illuminates His Word, speaking to us so that we can better understand it and how it relates to our lives. Here are a few tips for quieting your mind so you can listen to God:
· Place yourself in an environment that helps you concentrate.
o Quiet room, outside in the backyard, in a closet in your house.
· Don’t fight distracting thoughts by trying to avoid them altogether
o The more you focus on what you don’t want to think about, the more you’ll think about it!
· Choose a short phrase or sentence from the Bible.
o Meditate on it, read it over and over to your self until it sinks in.
· Find a time in the day to do this exercise – to pray and meditate that works for you and be consistent.
· Start small.
o Baby steps. If you aren’t used to sitting quietly, start with 1 – 2 minutes and then work your way up to longer periods of time. The point is just be silent and listen!
Praise God, Give thanks, Pray for others, confess sins, Praise God!
Example:
Father God, thank you for your holy Word, which is alive and breathes in us. We know this world is very noisy and distracting so please help us to find the place and time to sit silently with You and listen. Speak to our hearts and fill us with your love, kindness and grace so that we can shine those same things to others around us. In Jesus’ name – Amen.