Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3
because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3
Tonight, I sat in a room full of women and listened as they talked about The source of peace. My mind understands everything they said and my heart even agrees, but that peace they speak of has been elusive in my life of late.
These ladies have been through so much in their lives. Illness ... grief ... pain ... loneliness ... and they speak of the peace of God in words and tones that can only be understood after one has come through the fire of testing. That testing may not have been welcomed, but the results are clear. They have experienced adversity beyond my imagination and while I moan my way through the little things in my life, they share a passion for the God who has brought them through each trial.
What is the difference in them and me? I recognize that one difference is age and maturity, but that is only part of it. I listened, inspired and convicted, as they spoke of their time spent with the Lord. They rise early in the morning and begin their day reading the Word and praying. They also take the time to actually listen to what God is saying to them.
Listening ... your problem is that you don't listen.
I spoke these very words to my son tonight. He wanted to know why I was so frustrated with him. Son, you just don't listen! Do you ever hear what I am trying to say???
My child, are you listening? Is your "mind stayed on" Me? Do you trust Me?
Tears prick my eyes as I realize how deaf my heart is. How can God speak to me when I am running at breakneck speed trying to be the person I think He wants me to be and yet feeling strangely empty at the end of the day. Sometimes I wonder just what I would be different if I had been listening to the voice of my Father as I walked through the day. How would my words and actions been different?
How would I have responded to my friend who told me today that she and her husband are getting a divorce? What would I have said to that person who hasn't been to church in a long time and I don't really know why? How would I have spoken to my child who wasn't obeying me? Would I have responded to my friend in a way that probably sounded judgemental to her? How different would the drive home have been had I not been frustrated by little things?
Tonight, I was reminded that perfect peace is available to every child of God. It is available, but it isn't a given. I must keep my mind and my heart so focused on God that I don't have time to focus on anything else. It is only in building a relationship with my Father that I will be able to hear His voice when He speaks.
I am so thankful for the sweet lady who listened to the voice of her Father and shared what He put on her heart. She may not have known how much I needed to hear this tonight, but He did. He knew that I needed to sit quietly and listen to His voice.
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10
I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10
3 comments:
Thanks for sharing this Jennifer. I too need to learn to listen, as I too careen through my day at breakneck speed, trying to accomplish everything, and in reality getting very little done!
Jennifer, I read this before Bible School this morning but was in a hurry and could not comment.
The way those ladies blessed you, you have in return blessed me. It was the perfect reading for me before walking out the door today.
I am so thankful for the sweet lady who listened to the voice of her Father and blogged what he put on her heart.
So true. I struggle with peace too.
"whose mind is stayed in Thee..."
I think of the way I tend to unknowingly take on the accent of friends I spend a lot of time with. That's not necessarily a good quality but when I think about taking on qualities of God because of spending time with him, it seems so wonderful that He would allow that.
Post a Comment