Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Be Still




Good morning! It's Tuesday!

So, so quiet in my house this morning. Opportunity to listen (and sing loudly, if I'm being honest) to beautiful praise music. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Quiet time with my Savior. Reading his word....writing it on my heart. Doing devotions with friends. Pouring Him into me. Filling to overflowing my heart, mind and soul with his promises and provisions for me. These days are rare. Not that they don't happen often but that I don't allow distractions, my lists, my to-dos, my agenda, my desires, my wants to interrupt and cause me to place Jesus to the side. Yes, I do that. 😫
But when I have a morning like this one I'm reminded of how sweet it is to be in communion with the God of the universe. My God! My Creator! My Rock! My Redeemer! My Provider! My Father! My Protector! My Savior! The lover of my soul! The Lord of my life! What a truly beautiful way to start the day! And my prayer that I'll remember this morning and want to repeat it tomorrow.
I am not a "cherry picker" when it comes to scripture. I know context is important....there is more to this verse than those seven words. In reading it in context it goes like this:
"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."
Isaiah 30:15
The title to chapter 30 says this:
WOE TO AN OBSTINATE NATION
Obstinate - stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
“Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the Lord, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin;"
Isaiah 30:1
The answer is in the verse that really touched my heart this morning...."in quietness and trust is your strength".
Quietness - absence of noise or bustle; calm.
I cannot hear what God is saying in the noise. This would naturally lead to obstinance if all I have is me in my thoughts. My agenda....my desires....
So quieting down this morning has offered me HIS strength! Trusting in him provides to me HIS strength. One thing I do know for sure is that operating out of his strength is always better than operating out of my own.
God, thank you for quiet. I'm sorry mornings like today aren't an everyday occurance....that's why the first part of this verse is necessary. "In repentance and rest is your (MY) salvation". You already knew that I can't do this on my own. Thank you for sending your Son for me. That through Him you see me pure and blameless. What a precious gift. As I navigate this earthly life help me to keep my eyes focused on you. Help me to remember that my strength comes from being quiet and trusting in you. Thank you for your patience. I'm so grateful that you will never leave me or forsake me.
Have a beautiful day!
Be the hands and feet of Jesus... even in the everyday mundane.
❤️❤️❤️🖐️🖐️👣👣👣

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