Starting The Day Right … A Quiet Time
Ok … I must admit, I love my morning coffee! It is a really nice part of my morning routine …
… but in one of my first blog posts, The Steps of My Soul, I briefly wrote about something much more important to me … my morning “Quiet Time” with God … where I open my bible and “let Him read His words to [me]” – a time to be be still, quiet, listen … and as a pastor friend used to tell me, “breath deep the breath of God!”
Another “quiet timer” friend, Brad Kurtz, chair of my music ministry board (Flyingbow) and leader of the men’s ministry at my home church of Lakeside, regularly sends out emails to keep the idea of Quiet Time front and center in our busy lives. Here he uses excerpts from Jean Fleming’s book: Feeding Your Soul – A Quiet Time Handbook.
Quiet Time?
There are three basic reasons for forming a lifetime of meetings with God:
· God desires to meet with you.
· You need it.
· The world desperately needs to see Christ in you.
God desires to meet with you. As incredible as that may sound the full weight of His book supports the idea that He wants to meet with you.
We know that God is great. He is all knowing, all powerful, in control, all loving, infinite, and holy. We sometimes forget that He has emotions like ours: God loves (John 3:16), is deeply moved and troubled (John 11:33), and weeps (John 11:35) just to name a few. The emotions we feel help us to identify with the scope of God’s emotions. Remember that God longs for a deep relationship with you (Matthew 23:37).
Why a quiet time? Because God desires to meet with you. Understanding this, shifts the focus to God and it no longer revolves around you. Not “What do I get out of it?” but “How has our relationship been enriched?” You meet with God Almighty because He requests the pleasure of your company. Your God, the creator of the universe, wants you to know Him and to love Him. I’m thinking that’s reason enough but there’s more.
As you devote this time to God you allow Him to tell you things He is yearning to tell you. You may forget from time to time how much He loves you; in your quiet time He’ll tell you again and again. The God of all that is longs to show Himself to you, to open His heart and mind to you. He wants to bring you into His inner circle, into the boardroom where company strategies are disclosed and directions are formed. Jesus said, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I call you friends, for everything I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).
Yes, God communicates to us all the time not just during quiet time. But the hectic schedule of life can blur your focus and it is easy to miss His overtures, His whispers. Sometimes you just forget to look up. Quiet time is His idea to help you to refocus. A date for just the two of you. How cool is that!
Next week, “You need it”.
Let’s take the time each week to spend in quiet meditation with the King of the Universe who wants to be our Intimate Friend. This takes an act of our will (discipline) to make it happen! Until next time … TD